Society of Distinguished Alumni
The Mechanical Engineering Society of Distinguished Alumni
The ME Society of Distinguished Alumni is an honorary society open to qualified graduates, of the ME Department at Virginia Tech (at bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels). The fundamental purpose of the Society is to provide a formal means of recognition of those alumni who have demonstrated extraordinary achievement in their careers. A major objective of the Society is to promote greater interaction between ME Alumni and ME faculty, staff, and students.
Class of 2019
John C. Blanton, Ph.D.
Classes of 1976, 1977, 1981
Gas Turbine Engineering, GE (Retired)
An internationally known and respected leader in the field of gas turbine design and technology, Dr. John Blanton has maintained life-long commitments to the sound fundamental practice of mechanical engineering and to his alma mater, Virginia Tech. Starting as a student and continuing through his lengthy career with GE and now as a consultant, John has excelled at complementing corporate engineering responsibilities with leadership and collaborative volunteer activities with professional engineering societies. John has also shared his experiences with the next generations through extensive formal teaching and mentoring programs. His life-long service to Virginia Tech includes more than 10 years service to the Department Advisory Board.
William Cousins, Ph.D.
Classes of 1978, 1979, 1997
Fellow, Thermal Fluid Sciences, United Technology Research Center
Dr. Bill Cousins is a recognized international expert in compression system stability and operability. His work and invention of a device for fore-and-aft flow in a surge event in compressions, has become the standard for stall and surge testing in turbine engine compressors. As he continues his ground-breaking research with United Technologies Research Center, Bill recently completed the design and test of the first-ever boundary-layer ingesting distortion tolerant fan under a NASA contract. He shares his knowledge with students at Virginia Tech, as well as maintaining a position as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Hartford. In addition to his role on the Department Advisory Board, Bill also serves as an informal advisor to the governing board of the ASME International Gas Turbine Institute.
Michael Fleming
Classes of 2002, 2003
CEO & Co-Founder, Torc Robotics
Michael Fleming is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Torc Robotics, a leading provider of self-driving solutions, based in Blacksburg, VA. Beginning operations in 2005 as a Virginia Tech student start-up, Torc developed the self-driving technology for team Victor Tango in the DARPA Urban Challenge. Since its top three finish in this historic self-driving race, Fleming has overseen Torc’s rapid and organic growth to over 100 employees – along with the commercialization of self-driving technology into trucking, mobility, mining, and defense applications through OEM partnerships. In March 2019 Daimler Trucks and Torc announced an agreement for Daimler to acquire a majority ownership in Torc, forming a partnership to commercialize Level 4 self-driving trucks. Under the agreement, Torc retains its name, leadership, facilities, and customers.
Uma Jayaram, Ph.D.
Classes of 1987, 1991
Managing Director and Principal Engineer, Intel Sports
The first woman officially admitted to the Indian Institute of Technology’s Mechanical Engineering program at IIT Kharagpur, Dr. Uma Jayaram completed her master’s degree at Virginia Tech working on hypersonic jet inlets, before going on to complete her Ph.D. in computer-aided design/interactive computer graphics and mathematical geometric surface modeling for aircraft. Since leaving Blacksburg, Uma has started three companies, including Voke, a virtual reality experience company which was bought by Intel in 2016. She currently leads a vibrant engineering team at Intel and has brought her experience and expertise to providing cutting-edge immersive experiences for sporting events and leagues such as the 2018 Winter Olympics, NFL, NBA, NCAA, and MLB.
