Frank Adamek and Dennis Petersen will receive the Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award at the 2002 Distinguished Engineering Alumni Awards Dinner on Friday, June 7 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Downtown Houston. Kathy Rhodes will receive the Roger Eichhorn Leadership Service Award. The keynote speaker for the evening will be Texas State Senator Rodney Ellis.
Frank C. Adamek (1972 BSME, 1975 MSME) is vice president of customer quality for ABB Vetco Gray. He recently chaired the UH Department of Mechanical Engineering's Industry Advisory Board and is a registered professional engineer in Texas. He is a member of the board of directors for the Offshore Energy Center and the Offshore Technology Conference. He is the American Society of Mechanical Engineers' (ASME) vice president of the Energy Resources Board responsible for Mechanical Engineering interests in petroleum, offshore, ocean, solar and advanced energy. Recently, Frank was appointed ASME's senior vice president of engineering. An international veteran of 28 years in the Oil & Gas industry, Frank has held various engineering positions with ABB Vetco Gray including Manager of Research & Development. In 1998, he was appointed vice president of customer quality.
Dennis Petersen (1978 BSIE, 1979 MBA) is president of Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam, Inc., an engineering and architectural firm. A licensed professional engineer, Dennis contributes his time to the UH Cullen College of Engineering leadership board. As a member of the Texas Space Leadership Council, Dennis works with honorary chair Governor Rick Perry to promote and integrate new space technology. He also serves on the Greater Houston Partnership Government Relations Advisory Committee and the Texas Council of Engineering Companies executive committee, where Dennis chairs the Alternate Project Delivery Task Force. In recognition of his expertise and leadership, Houston Mayor Lee P. Brown appointed Dennis in 1998 to serve on the Mayor's Transition Team, where he co-chaired the public works & engineering subcommittee.
Kathy Williams Rhodes (1969 BS English) worked in the Rice University Public Relations office and with a research group at M.D. Anderson Hospital before joining UH in 1979. Kathy split her 21 years at UH between the College of Business Administration and the Cullen College of Engineering. Her responsibilities included producing publications, coordinating special events and serving as staff liaison for the College of Business Alumni Association and the Engineering Alumni Association (EAA). During her six years with the engineering college, she annually coordinated the UH/ASME Cajun Crawfish Boil and provided EAA staff support for the Engineering Golf Tournament, Homecoming and other EAA activities. She is currently director of marketing for Cobb, Fendley & Associates, Inc.
Since 1987 the Engineering Alumni Association has recognized alumni, faculty and friends of the University of Houston Cullen College of Engineering for significant contributions to society and the profession. All past recipients will be recognized that evening, which will also commemorate the Cullen College of Engineering's 60th Anniversary.
Click here to view previous award recipients from each category.