Illinois Institute of Technology honors outstanding alumni in business, law, politics, design, architecture, engineering and education

Chicago, IL — June 6, 2007 —

Sixteen Illinois Institute of Technology alumni were recently recognized for their many contributions to their professions, communities and the university. Alumni honored included corporate giants, entrepreneurs, engineers, architects, designers, philanthropists, politicians and teachers.

Rajeev Chandrasekhar received the 2007 IIT Global Service Award. He is a one of the designers of Intel's Pentium chip; founder of one of India's prominent cellular franchises, BPL Mobile; chairman and CEO of Jupiter Capital, focusing on infrastructure, media and technology ventures; and a member of the upper house of India's Parliament. He has enhanced IIT's reputation as an international leader in technology and entrepreneurship.

Robert Growney and Marilyn Kouba received IIT Alumni Service Awards for their continuous, selfless and enthusiastic involvement in the university.

• Growney is a partner at Edgewater Growth Capital Partners. Previously he was president and CEO of Motorola and a member of Motorola's Board of Directors. He was key in the research phase in the early days of the cell phone industry. He has served IIT as an Executive Committee member of the Board of Trustees, chairman of the Oversight Board for the Stuart Graduate School of Business, and chair of the Downtown Campus Task Force.
• Kouba worked for G.D. Searle immediately after graduation. She later joined the City Colleges of Chicago where she taught for more than 31 years at Harold Washington College, serving 7 years as the chair of its physical science department. Kouba is a member of IIT's President's Council and has worked hard supporting laboratory improvements at IIT.

Roy Gignac and Edward Ross received IIT Alumni Merit Awards for their commitment to IIT's future through their philanthropic contributions and personal involvement.

• Gignac is an entrepreneur, philanthropist and dedicated alumnus who contributes significant amounts of his time and funds to recruit students to study at IIT. Currently Gignac is covering the costs—tuition, books, fees and plane tickets home--of 8 students from his hometown of Danville, Virginia who attend IIT.
• Ross is the co-founder of Jupiter Industries, which was involved in trucking, insurance and manufacturing companies and owned the Drake Hotel. Ross has contributed significantly to the success of IIT by promoting and financially supporting IIT's biomedical engineering program.

Anshu Dewan and Dariy Zlatarsky received IIT Outstanding Young Alumnus Awards because they've excelled early in their careers.

• Dewan started Hybridtronics, involved in commercializing technologies that increase fuel economy of buses and trucks. Pending the conclusion of a test phase, Hybridtronics will supply high-tech components to large automotive companies in Asia. Prior to founding Chicago-based Hybridtronics, Dewan led business development efforts at Devicelinx Inc. where he secured the first customer for the company.
• Zlatarsky began his career at FM Global as a field engineer. He rose quickly through the ranks. By 2002, he was promoted to field engineer II, charged with training new hires, a responsibility usually given to more senior level staff. In 2003, he became an account engineer, which normally requires five years of experience. In 2006, Zlatarsky rose to account engineer II, , where he is currently responsible for approximately $14 million in annual income and accounts for clients such as American Family Insurance, the City of Evanston, Jockey International, Resurrection Health and Tootsie Roll.

Six IIT alumni received IIT Professional Achievement Awards for contributions to their professions.

• Dorothy Brown is the clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, the first African-American to hold that position. She was re-elected in 2004 by an overwhelming margin. She is the official keeper of records for all judicial matters in one of the largest unified court systems in the world.
• Stephen Burks is the principal of Readymade Projects in New York, which counts Calvin Klein, Estee Lauder, Cappellini and other international renowned manufacturers among its clients. Burks' work was featured this year in the Museum of Science and Industry's Designs For Life exhibition, which showcased the contributions of African-Americans in the field of industrial design.
• Perri Irmer is the CEO of the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority, which oversaw the redevelopment of Soldier Field and owns U.S. Cellular Field. For 30 years she has served on the design, development or legal side of numerous real estate and construction projects in Chicago's private and public sector.
• Ron Krueck and Mark Sexton are two of Chicago's most highly-regarded architects. As partners in Krueck & Sexton Architects, they took on the project of renovating Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's world-famous S.R. Crown Hall at IIT, earning them the Chicago Landmarks Award for Preservation Excellence
• Victor Tsao is the co-founder of Linksys and senior vice president of Cisco Systems. Led by Tsao, Linksys became the leading provider of networking hardware. Linksys was acquired by Cisco Systems where Tsao is currently working on new business opportunities in and near China.

Three IIT alumni received IIT Lifetime Achievement Awards posthumously in recognition of their professional achievements and outstanding contributions to their professions and communities.

• Irving M. Footlik patented two inventions: a rotating shelf system for refrigerators and a step-on pail. His palletless warehouse designs and the development of the first fully automated warehouse in the world at the Kitchens of Sara Lee were important innovations. He helped establish the Association of Professional Material Handling Consultants and the International Material Management Association. He taught at Northwestern University ant IIT and was material handling editor for eight trade journals, and authored a textbook on material handling.
• Robert Ladevich founded Midwest Dynamometer and later became director of Energy and Planning at A. Finkl & Sons Co. Ladevich is on IIT's President's Council and has served as Director of the Alumni Association.
• Hugh Story was a tireless leader throughout his life. While a student at IIT, he served at Student Government president. He earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, served the Navy in the Pacific as a submariner and helped sink 15 enemy ships. In the private sector for more than 30 years, he built and managed oil refineries worldwide.

Founded in 1890, IIT is a Ph.D.-granting university with more than 7,300 students in engineering, sciences, architecture, psychology, design, humanities, business and law. IIT’s interprofessional, technology-focused curriculum is designed to advance knowledge through research and scholarship, to cultivate invention improving the human condition, and to prepare students from throughout the world for a life of professional achievement, service to society, and individual fulfillment. Visit www.iit.edu.