Alumni Medal
Arlington “Art” Carter (EE ’61) built a groundbreaking career in engineering and technical leadership at Boeing, where he retired as corporate vice president of facilities, capital investments, and continuous quality improvement. After graduating from Illinois Tech in 1961 with a degree in electrical engineering, he quickly rose through the ranks, applying his skills to high-level defense and aerospace programs. In 1978, Carter made history as the first African American to join Boeing’s executive management team. His leadership roles included vice president of the defense and missile division, assistant general manager of the space division, and general manager of the Seattle services division. Earlier in his career, he served as program manager for the strategic defense initiative and the air-launched anti-satellite program.
Carter’s achievements earned national recognition. In 1990, he was named Black Engineer of the Year—an honor presented by deans of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) with accredited engineering programs and key leaders from Fortune 500 companies, including the chief executive officer of Mobil Oil. Beyond his professional contributions, Carter remains deeply connected to Illinois Tech, helping strengthen the Seattle alumni community and staying engaged in alumni activities throughout the region.
In 1998, Carter became the first African American to become a member of Illinois Tech’s Philip Danforth Armour Society. In receiving this honor, Carter extends heartfelt gratitude to the family, mentors, institutions, and experiences that have shaped his journey.
Alumni Service Award
Matthew P. Walsh II (LAW ’92) is the partner in charge of Hinshaw & Culbertson’s Chicago office and a member of the firm’s Executive Staff. A veteran trial lawyer, he concentrates on complex litigation involving construction, commercial disputes, employment law, municipal liability, healthcare litigation, and religious institutions. Walsh represents construction firms, national retailers, healthcare providers, government agencies, and public officials. In addition to his litigation practice, he serves as general counsel to several multimillion-dollar companies. Before joining Hinshaw, Walsh spent over seven years as a prosecutor in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. Equally committed to public service, Walsh has held leadership roles on numerous charitable and fiduciary boards. His board work has advanced regional planning initiatives and raised tens of millions of dollars for healthcare and child welfare services. He also served for 14 years in public office as an elected trustee and acting Mayor of the Village of Indian Head Park, where he oversaw municipal operations and budget management.
Throughout the years, Walsh has remained a dedicated and generous supporter of his alma mater, consistently offering his time, insight, and leadership. He currently serves as a member of Chicago-Kent's Board of Advisors and is a frequent speaker on alumni panels for admitted students. Walsh has also volunteered his time conducting mock interviews for career services and served on the advisory panel for Chicago-Kent’s 125th Anniversary Celebration. He chaired his class’s 25th reunion committee and played a key role in raising funds for a class scholarship.
Grateful for the academic rigor and support he received at Chicago-Kent, Walsh credits the faculty, staff, and his fellow students with laying the foundation for his successful and rewarding legal career.
International Award of Merit
Anna Ninoyu (ARCH ’05) is the owner and principal architect of METIS Design, a Chicago-based firm she co-founded in 2017 with her husband and fellow Illinois Tech alumnus Kris Gorospe (ARCH ’05). METIS is driven by a belief in architecture as a catalyst for cultural dialogue and social change. Ninoyu’s diverse portfolio includes projects for UChicago Medicine, Related Midwest, and the Japanese American Service Committee, reflecting her dedication to design that serves and uplifts communities.
Beyond architecture, Ninoyu is an active civic and cultural leader. A second-generation Japanese American, she has served on the U.S.-Japan Council since 2017, including as Midwest region chair, and was selected for the Japanese American Leadership Delegation to foster international collaboration. She also led Chicago Access Network TV as board chair, supporting initiatives in media education and community engagement.
A proud Illinois Tech alumna, Ninoyu has given back as an adjunct professor, leading immersive seminars that explore architecture and technology across Japan. Her work bridges design, education, and diplomacy to create local and global impact. She is honored to receive this award and extends deep gratitude to her mentors, her family, and her husband for his fervent support and partnership as they navigate the joys and challenges of life and business together.
John J. Schommer Honor I Award
John L. Abramic (CHE ’97, LAW ’01) is the managing partner of the Chicago office of Steptoe LLP, a global law firm. He represents clients in complex intellectual property disputes across the United States, including in federal courts, arbitrations, the International Trade Commission, and the U.S. Patent Office. Widely recognized for his expertise, Abramic has been named among the top intellectual property trial attorneys by IAM Patent 1000 and Illinois Super Lawyers. Beyond his professional work, he is dedicated to pro bono service, providing legal support to underserved individuals. In recognition of his commitment, he received the Northern District of Illinois Award for Excellence in Pro Bono and Public Service.
Abramic earned his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Illinois Tech and his Juris Doctor from Chicago-Kent College of Law, graduating second in his class in 2001. While at Chicago-Kent, he was a member of the Law Review, elected to the Order of the Coif, and selected as part of the inaugural class of Honors Scholars. He has remained actively involved with Illinois Tech, mentoring students, serving as a mock judge for competitions, and participating in recruitment for the Honors Scholars Program. He also contributes to the university through his service on the Illinois Tech Alumni Association Board of Directors—where he has been a member of the awards and governance committees—and on the Illinois Tech Athletics Advisory Board.
During his undergraduate years, Abramic was a standout student-athlete, starting for the men’s baseball team from 1993 to 1997. He earned All-District and All-Conference honors in three of his four seasons and played a key role on the 1996 team, which posted the most wins in Illinois Tech baseball history. During his senior year, he was named team MVP and recognized as Illinois Tech’s Outstanding Male Athlete of the Year. Abramic is honored to receive this recognition and expresses his gratitude to his wife Diana and their children Lloyd, Caelin, Ryann, and Brynn—as well as to his coaches, teammates, and professors who shaped his journey at Illinois Tech and Chicago-Kent.
Lifetime Achievement Award
Arnold I. Caplan (CHEM ’63) was a pioneering biomedical scientist, educator, and entrepreneur whose visionary work transformed the field of regenerative medicine. After earning his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Illinois Tech in 1963 and a Ph.D. in physiological chemistry from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, he joined the faculty at Case Western Reserve University in 1969. Over a remarkable 54-year tenure, he became a full professor, founded the university’s Skeletal Research Center, and earned global recognition as the “father of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs).” His groundbreaking discovery of MSCs and their immunomodulatory, regenerative, and anti-inflammatory properties laid the foundation for therapies now used in treating conditions such as osteoarthritis, spinal cord injury, and cancer. He also founded Osiris Therapeutics, one of the first companies to commercialize MSC technology.
Beyond the lab, Caplan was a tireless mentor and prolific scholar, guiding over 150 researchers and authoring more than 450 scientific publications with over 20 patents to his name. His work earned numerous accolades, including the Marshall R. Urist Award for Excellence in Tissue Regeneration Research, the TERMIS Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Faculty Innovator Award from Case Western Reserve. A long list of national and international honors reflects the far-reaching influence of his work across orthopedics, stem cell biology, and regenerative medicine. Yet, he remained grounded in collaboration and humility, consistently crediting his colleagues and trainees for their shared success.
Caplan’s journey began at Illinois Tech, where the mentorship of Dr. A.E. Martell and the university’s rigorous scientific environment sparked his lifelong passion for research. He often reflected on his time at Illinois Tech with deep gratitude, citing it as the foundation for his scientific path.
Outstanding Young Alumni Award
Kunle Apampa (CHE ’10) is a seasoned investment professional with a distinguished career in sustainable finance and impact investing. He currently serves as director and head of client solutions at Capricorn Investment Group, one of the world’s largest mission-aligned investment firms, managing over $12 billion in assets. In this role, he leads the institutional growth of Capricorn’s Outsourced Chief Investment Officer (OCIO) platform, helping families, foundations, and institutional investors align their capital with their values and missions.
Before joining Capricorn, Apampa spent more than a decade at Goldman Sachs holding several leadership positions across the firm’s global markets and finance divisions. He notably served as vice president at Goldman Sachs Imprint, the firm’s sustainable and impact investing platform within Goldman Sachs Asset Management. Throughout his career, he has been a driving force in integrating sustainability into investment strategies, championing responsible capital allocation across global markets. In addition to his professional roles, he is an active advisor and angel investor in tech-enabled, pan-African ventures and was recently featured in a Bloomberg Original documentary highlighting the rise of technology in Nigeria.
Apampa earned his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Illinois Tech, where he specialized in energy, environment, and economics and was deeply engaged in student leadership. Receiving the Outstanding Young Alumni Award is a profound honor for him—a reminder that true impact comes from curiosity, values-driven work, and the support of a strong community. He extends his heartfelt thanks to the Illinois Tech community, as well as to his sisters Tayo and Busayo and his parents Bolade and Kenny whose unwavering encouragement continues to guide his journey.
Outstanding Young Alumni Award
Lauren Joyce Hensel (PTC ’06, M.P.A. ’17) began her career at Illinois Tech as a student in 2006 before joining the university’s staff quickly rising through roles in admissions and athletics, including as head coach of the men’s and women’s volleyball teams and associate athletic director. By 2013, she had also taken on the role of director of admissions. After relocating to the Netherlands in 2017, she completed her M.P.A. under Dr. Joanne Howard and founded Launch Education Advisors in Amsterdam. The organization quickly gained traction, helping students gain admission to institutions such as University of Oxford, Wake Forest University, American University, and St. Andrews University.
Upon returning to the United States, Hensel became president of Smart Live Family Services, leading the organization through a strategic transformation in marketing, operations, fundraising, and partnership development with Chicago Public Schools. Currently, she is the founder and owner of Canis Education Consulting LLC in Chicago, where she supports unique learners, student-athletes, and globally mobile families in accessing postsecondary opportunities worldwide. With a strong foundation in public administration and higher education, she is recognized for her dedication to mentorship, equity, and student success.
A former volleyball player at Illinois Tech, Hensel was inducted into the Illinois Tech's Athletics Hall of Fame in 2022. Her accolades include CCAC Player of the Year, multiple NAIA Academic and Athletic All-American honors, the Schommer Award, and the Collens Scholar Award, all earned during her time as a student at Illinois Tech. Today, she continues to advocate for student-athletes and underserved communities through her consulting work, writing, and public speaking. She credits her husband Brian, children Edison and Emerson, and her extended family—including Mike, Pat, and Melissa Joyce—for their enduring support.
Outstanding Young Alumni Award
Junjie Zhu (M.S. ENVE ’12, Ph.D. ’15) is a leader at the forefront of environmental engineering and artificial intelligence (AI), pioneering the use of machine learning (ML) and large language models (LLMs) to tackle pressing environmental challenges. He has been instrumental in leveraging ML, natural language processing (NLP), and LLMs to analyze and synthesize environmental research, earning global recognition for his work. Zhu was the first to evaluate the implications of ChatGPT and similar models for environmental science, producing widely referenced guidance on AI’s potential and limitations in scientific inquiry. These efforts led to the development of Environ-LLM, the first domain-specific LLM built for environmental science. His innovations have reshaped how researchers interpret data, identify trends, and generate interdisciplinary insights.
After earning his Ph.D. from Illinois Tech, Zhu held teaching and research roles at the university before joining Princeton University’s WET LAB as a postdoctoral research associate in 2020. He currently serves as an associate research scholar with the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment. His work has earned major research funding, including NSF grants, and he actively contributes to collaborative efforts through the International Water Association, the Water Environment Federation, and the Princeton Language and Intelligence (PLI) initiative. With over 40 publications in leading journals such as Nature Water, Environmental Science & Technology, and Water Research and speaking at more than 20 conferences and panels, Zhu is emerging as a prominent voice in environmental ML/AI. His work not only advances academic understanding but also informs practical solutions in the water sector and beyond.
Zhu’s impact extends beyond academia—his award-winning AI-driven solutions have been adopted by utilities such as Clean Water Services. He credits his achievements to the strong mentorship of Professor Paul R. Anderson. He is also deeply grateful to his M.S. and Ph.D. committee members Professors Krishna Pagilla, Fouad Teymour, Xiangyang Li, Brent Stephens, and Lili Du for their encouragement, insights, and guidance. Lastly, Zhu would like to thank his family for their unwavering support.
Professional Achievement Award
Eric Burger (Ph.D. CS ’06) is the research director of the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative and holds multiple research professorships at Virginia Tech, where he leads strategic efforts in securing next-generation networks. His interdisciplinary work spans 5G and beyond, Voice over IP, emergency communications (e.g. 911 and 988), threat intelligence sharing, and technology policy, with academic affiliations across engineering, public policy, and national security institutes at the university.
Burger’s career bridges academia, industry, and government. He served as chief technology officer at the Federal Communications Commission and assistant director at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, where he influenced national initiatives in cybersecurity, broadband expansion, supply chain security, and wireless innovation. At OSTP, he helped triple the wireless research and development budget and facilitated key spectrum transitions for commercial 5G deployment.
In the private sector, Burger held executive roles at Neustar, Brooktrout, and BEA Systems, and successfully launched or revitalized six companies, all achieving successful exits. He holds over 20 U.S. patents, including foundational innovations that bridged traditional telephony and internet networks. Burger earned his Ph.D. from Illinois Tech in 2006 and credits his advisor, Dr. Ophir Frieder, the university, and his family—particularly Deborah Spear—for their unwavering support and belief in his potential.