Techie of the Year
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Presented to an alum who has demonstrated service and loyalty to New Mexico Tech over
many years. It is the highest honor awarded by NMT’s Office for Advancement and Alumni
Relations.
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Rising Star
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Presented to an alum who graduated within the last 10 years, is excelling in their
profession, and is an emerging leader in their field.
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| NMT Faculty-Alumni Ambassador |
This award is presented to an faculty member who has made outstanding contributions
to the mission of the university through alumni relations, active research, educational
innovation, and service to New Mexico Tech, Socorro, and the state of New Mexico.
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Philanthropist of the Year
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This award recognizes an alum for their long-time, distinguished, philanthropic contributions
to support New Mexico Tech.
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2023
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| Techie of the Year 2023 |
 Johann Lindig
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Johann Lindig (B.S. 1984 Petroleum Engineering; B.S. 1986 Technical Communication) has more than
30 years of experience as a consultant working within higher education and in the private
sector to align programs and product development strategies to increase organizational
capabilities. She holds a CPIM credential from the Association of Operations Management
and a Stanford Certified Project Manager credential from the Stanford Center for Professional
Development at Stanford University. A longtime generous donor to New Mexico Tech,
she is also a founding member of the Women's Center Advisory Group, which is working
to establish a Women's Center and a Diversity Center on the New Mexico Tech campus which will show Tech's commitment
to foster equality across all genders, backgrounds, and ethnicities.
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Rising Star 2023
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Mackenzie Best
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Mackenzie Best (M.S. Geochemistry 2020) is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Geobiology at NMT. Her
research focuses on astrobiological and biotechnological applications of extreme acid-adapted
microorganisms, with a focus on their potential to leach metals from electronic waste.
Daughter of alum Jeffrey Best (B.E. Mineral Engineering, 1997), Mackenzie has worked as an ore control geologist at a high-altitude copper mine in Espinar, Peru, as an
exploration geologist at the Mumi copper and cobalt mine in Kolwezi, DRC, and was
the geology consultant on a project using open-access imagery to estimate uranium
production at mines in East Asia. She has been a Student Trustee on the New Mexico
Tech Foundation Board since 2022.
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| Faculty-Alumni Ambassador 2023 |
Curtis O'Malley
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Curtis O'Malley began at NMT in 2012 as a post-doc researcher evaluating the technical and economic feasibility of a patented invention for the
NMT office of Research. He joined the NMT faculty as an adjunct professor the following
semester and as a fulltime Assistant professor in 2016. Dr. O’Malley teaches undergraduate
mechanical engineering students from the beginning to end of their time at NMT, having
most students in 6 to 8 classes throughout their studies. Students begin their engineering
studies in his freshman intro to engineering course and transition into their careers
as part of Jr/Sr Design Clinic classes. He also teaches various other mechanics and
design classes along the way.
Dr. O’Malley is already an award-winning STEM educator, receiving recognition for
his numerous teaching, mentoring, and service achievements including the Air Force
Research Lab, New Mexico Tech Distinguished Service Award, NMT SGA Faculty Appreciation
Award, BBBS STEM awards, and Insight into Diversity Magazine. He directs numerous
K-12 initiatives including the Robotic STEM Outreach Program, which has impacted students
and teachers at schools from every corner of the state, and it continues to grow.
The program works with teachers to design and support robotics activities and challenges
that meet the needs, interest, and experience level of their students. The mechanical
outreach program is expected to grow from 30 schools last year to supporting 50 mostly
rural and Title 1 schools across NM this year. The program is supported by industry
sponsors, individual donors, and the NM legislature. Professor O'Malley mentors on
average 100 college students a year and trains and employs over 20 undergraduate and
graduate students as he involves them in mentoring roles for K-12 programs. He holds
a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Georgia Tech.
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| Philanthropist of the Year 2023 |
 M. Pat Miller
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M. Pat Miller (B.S. Petroleum Engineering, 1961) After graduating from NMT, Pat worked for six years
as a Drilling Engineer for two drilling contractors in the United States and Mozambique.
In 1967 he went to work with Texaco where he remained until his retirement in 1994.
His assignments were in the U.S., Africa, the Far East, Ecuador, Guatemala, Saudi
Arabia and Belgium. Most of his career with Texaco involved drilling, either managing
projects or supporting and helping supervise the personnel running projects. His major interest outside work has always been investing. After helping to start
a very successful investment club in 1991, he became involved with the National Association
of Investors (NAIC). After retirement he became very active in the Southeast Florida
Council of the NAIC and served as President for two years. Since 2004 he has been president of The M. Pat Miller Foundation, a 501(c)3 organization which provides
funding for scholarships. At NMT he established the C&E Miller Scholarship (in honor
of his parents) and the M. Pat Miller Investment Club fund, which supports the NMT
Student Investment Club. He served a term as a NMT Foundation Board Trustee and has
been an extremely generous supporter of NMT and its students for years.
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2022
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| Techie of the Year 2022 |
 Scott Williams
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Scott Williams (B.S. 1972 Basic Sciences; M.S. 1984 Mining Engineering; and Master 1985 Science
for Teachers) was a science and math teacher, as well as the gymnastics coach, at
Socorro High School for many years. His NMT mining degree led him to a career that
took him, and his wife Judy, all over the world, including Chile, Indonesia, Zimbabwe,
Brazil, Suriname and Alaska. They lived for 6 years in Yellowknife in the Northwest
Territory in Canada where he helped develop Canada’s first diamond mine. Scott has
been a long-time supporter of NMT and most recently was the initiator in creating
a “Class of 1972” endowment. Scott also led the successful effort to bring his classmates
back to campus for their Class of 1972 Golden Reunion this year.
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Rising Star 2022
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Damian Banks
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Damian Banks (B.S. 2022, Basic Sciences) As a student Damian created the first New Mexico Tech Esports club and led the team
to become competitive in several leagues. Damian served as a student trustee for
the NMT Foundation from 2020-2022. He is the founder of Ecliptix Gaming (2013) and
is involved in a lot of community outreach through Esports. Damian is also a full-time
employee in the NMT Advancement and Alumni Relations office.
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| Faculty-Alumni Ambassador 2022 |
Navid Mojtabai
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Navid Mojtabai (B.S. Mining Engineering, 1982, and M.S. Mining Engineering, 1985) Navid is, and has been for many years, the beloved chair of the Mineral Engineering
department. He received his Ph.D. in Mining Engineering from University of Arizona
in 1990, and he joined New Mexico Tech as a faculty member that same year. What sets
Navid apart from his faculty peers is that he stays in very close contact with all of his alumni and they will turn up wherever he might be, leading to a lot of philanthropic
gifts for the NMT Mineral Engineering department and its students.
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| Philanthropist of the Year 2022 |
 John Crum
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John Crum (B.S. Petroleum Engineering, 1975) After a long and illustrious career in the oil and gas industry, he retired as Senior
Vice President from Apache Oil. John and his wife Vicki have hosted many Houston-area
NMT alumni receptions and recently he brought his leadership skills to NMT where he
serves as the Co-Chair for New Mexico Tech’s “Launching Tech to New Heights” campaign. He is working with NMT to increase industry partnerships and support for
the new wing for the Petroleum Recovery Research Center, to which he has personally
committed a substantial pledge.
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2021
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| Techie of the Year 2021 |
 Van Romero
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Van Romero (B.S. 1977 Physics and M.S. 1979 Physics) earned his Ph.D. in Physics at University
of New York in 1991. Early in his career he was Manager of the Thermal Hydraulic Programs
at General Electric Knolls Atomic Power Lab in New York, then served as a Deputy Director
at the Superconducting Super Collider in Texas, and was a Senior Member of Technical Staff at Sandia National Laboratories. He returned to Socorro as
Director of the Energetic Materials Research & Testing Center (EMRTC) from 1995-1997.
He now serves NMT as a Professor of Physics, Vice President of Research, and Director of the Geophysical Research Center. He has a deep knowledge of and connection with NMT history, is always enthusiastic about engaging with NMT alumni, and has hosted many VIP events at the Magdalena Ridge Observatory (and cooked many steaks
at 10,600 feet). He and his family always support and attend NMT alumni events; they won the Mad Hatter
hat competition at the 2018 President’s Club reception. He has donated consistently to NMT scholarships, programs, and departments.
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Rising Star 2021
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Zoë Havlena
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Zoë Havlena (B.S. 2017 and M.S. 2019, Biology) is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Geobiology at
NMT (advisor Dr. Daniel Jones). Her research involves the study of microbiology associated
with gypsum deposits in actively forming sulfidic cave systems; her work is conducted
at two sites: Frasassi cave system (Italy) and Lehman caves (Great Basin National
Park, Nevada). Her master's thesis was published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology in early 2021, and she was awarded a NASA Future Investigators in NASA Earth and
Space Science and Technology (FINESST) grant in August 2021. In October 2020 she was
elected a student representative for the Geological Society of America's Geobiology
and Geomicrobiology Divison. Zoë is also the daughter of an alum, Jeffrey Havlena
(B.S. Geology 1983 and M.S. Hydrology 1988). In addition to her academic pursuits,
Zoë has been a member of New Mexico Search and Rescue (NM SAR) since 2013; she has
been a Field Coordinator since 2019, and is the youngest Incident Commander in NM
SAR.
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| Faculty-Alumni Ambassador 2021 |
Sharon Sessions
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Sharon Sessions (B.S. Math and Physics 1997 and M.S. Physics 1998) earned her Ph.D. in Physics from
the University of Oregon in 2002. She did a post-doc at the Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems before returning
to NMT as a Physics faculty member in 2003. She became a full Professor in 2018 and the NMT Director of Outreach in 2020. She served
as editor for The Journal of Climate (2015-2018), a Board Member for Math, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA), and Program Director for Mentoring Kids Works (pairing NMT student mentors with at-risk third graders
to improve reading literacy). She is the NMT Liaison for STEM Outreach and Mentoring: Fueling Opportunity through Relationships, Community,
and Education (STORM FORCE) and a Socorro Consolidated School District Board Member.
Among her awards and honors, she has received the 2019 NMT Distinguished Service Award, is a New Mexico Technology Council 2020 Women in Technology honoree, and Albuquerque Business First 2020 Women of Influence Award honoree.
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| Philanthropist of the Year 2021 |
 Elise Brower
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Elise Brower (B.S. Chemistry 1962, M.S. Chemistry 1966, and Ph.D. Geochemistry 1971) has always,
first and foremost, been a musician who played piano, organ, recorder, and
oboe, and taught piano privately. She and her husband Kay (a chemistry professor at
Tech from 1956 to 1996) formed a family quartet with their daughters Karen (on violin)
and Candace (on cello). Their living room was long the epicenter of musical activity
in Socorro, at one time housing three harpsichords, a pipe organ, a grand piano, and
numerous string and wind instruments. The Browers were avid supporters of the arts,
and were instrumental in founding the Performing Arts Series at Tech. Kay (cello)
and Elise (oboe) also played in the Tech orchestra for many years. After Kay's passing
in 2014, Elise continued to serve as artistic director of Las Cantantes (a women’s
chorus founded in 1986), music director of the Socorro Unitarian-Universalist Church,
and offerinng private piano lessons. The Browers established the Kay and Elise Brower Music Scholarship to support NMT students who
participate in NMT music ensembles.
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2020
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| Techie of the Year 2020 |
 Doc Stanley
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Ronald "Doc" Stanley (B.S. 1961 and M.S. 1964, Physics) spent two years as NMT faculty after earning his
Ph.D. in Physics at University College Dublin, Ireland in 1968. He then moved to teaching
science and coaching student golf, basketball, and baseball teams at Socorro High
School for more than 20 years. A long-time NMT donor, he has also produced beautiful
gifts and awards for NMT and the Office for Advancement for President's Club Dinner
gifts, 49er's trophies, and more.
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Rising Star 2020
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Danielle Turner (right)
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Danielle Turner (B.S. 2015 and M.S. 2017, Biology; Ph.D. 2019 Biotechnology) was awarded the first
Ph.D. in Biotechnology at NMT. During her time at New Mexico Tech, she and her team
have developed new drugs to combat multidrug-resistant bacteria and fungi. During
the spring of 2020, she was part of the Biology Department team producing and distributing
face shields and gallons of hand sanitizer, first for NMT and the Socorro community,
but by June statewide. She was named the NMT supervisor and site coordinator for the
NM COVID-19 Emergency Supply Collaborative.
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| Philanthropist of the Year 2020 |
 Raul Deju (right)
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Raul Deju (B.S. Mathematics, 1966 and Ph.D. Hydrology, 1969) is among NMT's most prominent
and successful graduates, having launched an extremely productive career after earning
his degrees. He and his wife Shari have been involved with and generous supporters
of multiple NMT programs and projects, including (but not limited to) the Deju University
House and the Bright Stars Scholars program. He has served on the NMT Foundation Board
of Trustees for several years and is a member of the 1889 Society.
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2019
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| Techie of the Year 2019 |
 Robert Eveleth (right) |
Robert “Bob" Eveleth (B.S. Mining Engineering, 1969) has spent more than 35 years researching, rescuing,
collecting, identifying, and publishing obscure facts and historic details of NM mining
and NMT history. Unofficial historian and “memory of New Mexico’s earth,” he has helped
to expand the legacy of New Mexico, mining, and history
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| Rising Star 2019 |
 Dr. Graham Walsh (right)
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Dr. Graham Walsh (M.S. Materials Engineering, 2002, and Ph.D. Materials Engineering, 2010) worked
at EMRTC as a student; he was instrumental in bringing Mythbusters to NMT. In 2016
he and his wife started their own business, Explosives Test Center, LLC; one sign
of its success is that it has hired other NMT graduates.
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| Philanthropist of the Year 2019 |
 Ken Fagan (right) |
Ken Fagan (B.S. Petroleum Engineering, 1961) and his wife Marge have been generous supporters
of the New Mexico Tech Petroleum Engineering Department and its students, for many
years. The Fagan Scholarship is awarded to multiple undergraduate Petroleum Engineering
students each year.
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