Egleston Medal

The medal is in honor of Thomas Egleston, who founded the School of Mines of Columbia College in 1864, the first of its kind in the United States. Subsequently, the School of Mines became the Columbia University School of Engineering and Applied Science. Thomas Egleston continued his association with the School of Mines as its dean and a professor until 1900. The medal was first awarded in 1939.

The medal is in recognition of distinguished achievement in engineering or applied science. The recipient must have significantly advanced his or her field of the engineering profession or the management of engineering activities.

This medal is awarded annually by the Board of Managers of the Columbia Engineering Alumni Association (CEAA) with the concurrence of the Dean of the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science. The recipient must be a graduate of the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science.

Recipients

2026

Raymond P. Daddazio '75SEAS, '76SEAS, '82SEAS

Raymond P. Daddazio, has broad experience in technology innovation and strategic and operational management of advanced engineering and technology programs. He has held various leadership roles, including president of Thornton Tomasetti and president and CEO of Weidlinger Associates, which merged with Thornton Tomasetti in 2015. Prior to his election as Weidlinger’s president in 2006, Daddazio was director of the firm’s Applied Science division. As such, he oversaw all of the firm’s advanced analysis and technology initiatives. He is a founder of TTWiiN, an innovation accelerator that commercializes technology spun off from Thornton Tomasetti. He serves on the boards of three of the spin-offs OnScale (acquired by Ansys in April 2022), Hummingbird Kinetics, and T2D2.ai.

Daddazio is a native New Yorker and earned BS, MS, and EngScD degrees from Columbia University, and sits on the Board of Visitors of Columbia Engineering. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in New York State.

2025

Thomas Caulfield '82SEAS, '84SEAS, '86SEAS

Dr. Thomas Caulfield is Executive Chairman to the board of directors at GlobalFoundries (GF). Previously, Caulfield served as President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GF. He was named CEO in 2018 and led the company’s initial public offering in October 2021, which was not only the largest semiconductor IPO in history at that time, but also the largest IPO across all of Nasdaq that year.

He holds a BS, MS, and a EngScD in materials science and engineering from Columbia Engineering and was a postdoctoral fellow at Columbia’s Engineering Center for Strategic Materials.  

2024

James R Scapa ’78SEAS

James R Scapa founded Altair, a leading company in computational science and AI. Since 1985, under his guidance, Altair has grown to serve over 13,000 customers, employing more than 3,000 people across 86 offices in 25 countries. The company's software is pivotal in industries such as automotive, aerospace, and more, driving product enhancement, cost reduction, and informed decision-making.

2023

Anne Kiremidjian '72SEAS

Anne's research in the development of probabilistic seismic hazard mapping methods has improved the safety and resilience of our society. Spearheading the development of wireless sensors and algorithms for structure monitoring and damage detection, Kiremidjian's contributions to earthquake engineering has advanced our understanding of seismic hazards and their effect on our built environment.

2022

Jamey Barbas '81BC, '83SEAS

Jamey designed and spearheaded the replacement of the Tappan Zee Bridge in New York with the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge—undertaking one of the largest bridge projects in the United States.

2019

Harry Tuller

His research on defects, diffusion, and the electrical, electrochemical, and optical properties of metal oxides has numerous applications in the development of sensors, energy conversion (fuel cells, solar water splitting), computer memories, and MEMS devices.

2018

Fermi Wang

Serial entrepreneur and video compression technology expert, Dr. Wang has helped revolutionize digital television transmission and broadcasting, making possible all of the streaming media services available today.

2017

Alan Willner

Credited with enabling the advancement of information transfer around the world, Dr. Willner is one of the world’s foremost scholars in the areas of optics, photonics, and high-speed optical networks.

2016

Sheldon Wiederhorn

Dr. Wiederhorn is best known for the experiments that he developed to characterize sub‑critical crack growth in glasses. Techniques pioneered by Dr Wiederhorn are now used to assure the reliability of glass windows in airplanes, space-vehicles and related applications.

2015

Donald E. Ross

Managing partner of Jaros Baum and Bolles, responsible for the design of mechanical and electrical systems for major tall commercial buildings throughout the world.

2014

Chuck Hoberman

Renowned inventor, designer, architect, and mechanical engineer, known for his groundbreaking work on “transformable structures.

2013

Michael Abrahams

World-class structural engineer, having designed and repaired bridge, tunnels, and buildings around the world.

Donald Ferguson

Thought-leader in cloud computing; father of IBM’s Web Sphere business and leader of software design across the country.

2012

Bernard Roth

Co-founder of and instructor at Stanford’s Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (d.School); pioneering researcher in kinematics, robotics, and design

2011

Michael Massimino

An astronaut, successfully completing two spaceflights on shuttles Atlantis and Columbia as well as over thirty hours of spacewalk time, he has also worked to develop robotics technologies and strategies that further the field of astronautics. In the 1990s, he pioneered a display system to visually integrate pitch, yaw, and roll data for shuttle robot arm operators, as well as working to repair the Hubble Space Telescope.

2010

Andrew Lovinger

Distinguished member of the staff at Bell Labs and has served as the head of the Polymers Program at the National Science Foundation. While at Bell Labs, he performed pioneering research on novel polymers which have unusual piezoelectric, ferroelectric, and semiconducting properties. These discoveries will impact the development of future sensors and electronic devices that can be prepared on flexible substrates and be wearable.

2009

Albert Pisano

A pioneer in the field of micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), a technology using microscopic motors and other devices inmany aspects of our lives including drug delivery, strain sensors, inertial instruments, micro power generators, atomic clocks, RF components and disc drive actuators.

2008

Matthys Levy

Designer of domes, buildings and bridges, including the Georgia Dome Stadium in Atlanta, the Javits Convention Center and the Rose Center for Earth and Space in New York City, La Plata Stadium in Argentina, the Schalke Stadium Retractable Dome in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, and the Bank of China headquarters in Beijing. As the chair of Weidlinger Associates, he directed one of the world’s leading structural engineering and applied mechanics firms.

2007

Lotfi Zadeh

Pioneering work in systems analysis, and subsequent development of fuzzy logic–a novel logical system that breaks away from classical, Aristotelian logic.

2006

Guy Longobardo

Advanced the discipline of bioengineering, especially in the area of unstable respiratory disorders, applying the principles of applied mechanics and control theory to the field of physiology.

2005

Rudolf Kalman

Creator of modern control theory and system theory; his discovery of the Kalman Filter and of modern algebraic techniques revolutionized mathematics-based engineering.

2004

Helmut W. Schulz

President, Dynecology, Inc.; developed technology spanning uranium centrifugation, laser analysis, safe waste conversion technology and commercial processes; holds 64 United States and foreign patents.

Masanobu Shinozuka

Distinguished Professor, Chair of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Irvine; a dominant intellectual leader in establishing probabilistic mechanics, structural reliability, and risk assessment.

2003

Robert E. Lindberg, Jr.

VP of Research and Development, National Institute of Aerospace; research leader for Orbital Sciences Corp, expanding its business in launch vehicles, orbit transfer vehicles and satellite systems.

2002

Jeffrey L. Bleustein

Chairman and CEO of Harley-Davidson, Inc., who transformed the company by leading the development of the V-Rod liquid-cooled engine, the V2 Evolution engine, Belt Drive, vibration isolation and the soft tail chassis.

2001

Charles R. LaMantia

Industrial leader, manager and businessman, who, as President, Chairman and CEO of Arthur D. Little, transformed the company into a global consulting firm. As President and CEO, led Koch Process Systems to become a successful manufacturer of standard systems for energy and process industries.

2000

Vittorio Castelli

Academician and researcher who led the field in the fluid dynamics of lubrication; founder of Xerox Mechanical Engineering Sciences Laboratory, whose electro-mechanical technology is used in nearly every Xerox product made today.

1999

Eliahu I. Jury

Academician who initiated the field of discrete-time systems, pioneered z-transforms and created the Jury stability test.

1998

Michael Attardo

IBM executive whose research on electromigration led to the development of a new generation of semiconductors using copper wiring.

1996

Anna K. Longobardo

Unisys executive responsible for more than 100 locations worldwide, set standards for managing large, complex global organizations. Trustee of Columbia University.

1995

Arthur J. McEvily

Recognized worldwide as an expert in the field of fatigue growth in materials.

1994

Irwin Dorros

Responsible for all applied research, systems engineering, and software development for seven Bell companies and recognized as an international leader in telecommunications technology.

1993

Sheldon E. Isakoff

Known for work in development of processes for high-speed manufacture of synthetic fibers and films.

1992

Calvin A. Gongwer

Work inspired breakthrough in understanding design problems of cavitation and stall in centrifugal impellers; work formed basis for current design and study of centrifugal fans, pumps and propulsion systems, and was a milestone in development of effective and efficient hydraulic devices.

1991

Ferdinand Freudenstein

“Father of Modern Kinematics” – the dynamics of machines and mechanisms.

1990

Raymond P. Generaux

Plant designer for the plutonium purification project at Hanford, WA, for the Manhattan Project; also inventor of continuous flow processing for tetraethyl lead.

1989

Weldon S. Booth

Pioneer and innovator in foundation construction; key consultant to major rapid transit systems.

Seymour J. Sindeband

Invented, patented, developed, and applied magnetic and acoustic mines for the Navy. Pioneered the first real-time commercial use of computers.

1988

Dudley D. Fuller

Developed the hydrostatic bearing.

1987

Robert L. Swigett

Pioneered in the development of printed electronic circuits.

1986

Elmer L. Gaden Jr.

“Father of biochemical engineering.”

1985

Richard T. Baum

Foremost practitioner of energy engineering.

1984

Joseph F. Engelberger

Father of industrial robotics.

1983

Melvin L. Baron

Authority in the field of ground and underwater shock.

1982

Henry L. Michel

Design and construction of mass transportation facilities.

1981

Edward Cohen

Creative research on structure design.

1980

Don O. Noel

Leader of the powder metallurgy industry.

1979

Arthur Hauspurg

Developed large-scale electrical power production and transmission.

1978

Donald M. Burmister

Developed first soil mechanics lab at Columbia University in 1933.

1977

Edward Joseph Goett

Drug manufacture and processing.

Daniel Charles Drucker

Pioneer of the modern theory of plasticity.

1976

Samuel Logan Higginbottom

Aeronautic engineering leadership.

1975

Theodore Baumeister

Professor of mechanical engineering and expert on jet and van machinery.

1974

Raoul G. Bergman

Contribution to mining exploration.

1973

Lawrason Riggs III

Significant contributions to mining exploration and extrapolation techniques.

1972

Jewell M. Garrelts

Specialist in bridge design and construction.

1971

Raymond D. Mindlin

Mathematical theory of elasticity.

1970

Lawrence Gussman

Developed advanced technology for conversion of Guar Gum.

1969

Robert Dodd Lilley

Distinguished engineering achievements; former President of AT&T, Trustee of Columbia University.

1968

Maurice L. Sindeband

Developed processes of communication, transportation and electric power circuits.

1967

William Fondiller

Electrical engineer and inventor who redesigned the telephone into one compact unit.

1966

Theodore B. Counselman

Inventor of processes in magnetic separation, ore classification, synthetic rubber manufacturing and fluo-solids roasting.

1965

Paul Queneau

Fundamental discoveries in the field of process metallurgy.

1964

Arthur V. Loughren

Pioneer in radio and television engineering.

1963

Charles Mayer

Consulting engineering in structural design and foundations.

1962

Donald V. Lowe

Chemical engineer; contributor of significant advances to the paper industry.

1961

Charles M. Binckerhoff

Instrumental in developing mining industry in North and Latin America; provided outstanding service to Chilean people through mining industry.

1960

Augustin L. Queneau

Designer and developer of processes for the recovery of non-ferrous and rare metals.

1959

Robert A.W. Carleton

Civil engineer who constructed many of New York’s subway and railroad tunnels.

1958

Morris Goodkind

Director and chief designer, served as civilian consultant to the chief engineer of the U.S. Army in World War II.

1957

Robert Annan

Internationally known mining engineer and chairman of the Consolidated Gold Field of South Africa.

1956

Felix E. Wormser

Mineral engineering; Asst. Secretary of the Interior; development of uses of lead.

1955

Hyman G. Rickover

“Father of the Nuclear Navy.”

1954

Frank A. Ayer

Walter H. Sammis

Served as President of the Edison Electric Institute; Trustee of Columbia University.

1953

Charles B. Spencer

Developed original methods for underpinning and installation of deep foundations; Director of Underpinning of the White House.

1952

Reginald J.S. Pigott

Authority on fluid-flow pumps and pioneer in design and construction of central steam power stations and industrial plants.

1951

David B. Steinman

Directed reconstruction of historic Brooklyn Bridge.

1950

Edmund A. Prentis

Foundation and subsurface specialist, directed reconstruction of the White House and major dry docks.

1949

Harvey S. Mudd

Mining and Metallurgical engineering.

1948

Sir Alfred Chester Beatty

Developer of international copper, gold and diamond mines.

1947

Philip Sporn

Pioneer of advanced engineering concepts.

1946

James Kip Finch

Educator and expert on hydraulics and on engineering economics.

1945

Richard E. Dougherty

Eminent railroad builder and executive.

1944

John F. Thompson

Investigated potentials of the nickel-copper alloy Monel, aided in research production of non-ferrous alloys.

1943

Thomas H. Chilton

Discovery and formulation of principles underlying the unit operations of chemical engineering.

1942

Reno H. Sales

Chief geologist of the Anaconda Copper Mining Company.

1941

Lazarus White

Authority on excavating and underpinning; in charge of tunneling and bracing for 8th and 6th Avenue subways.

1940

Grover Loening

Designer of first successful monoplane.

1939

Walter H. Aldridge

Dramatically augmented mineral production.

Edwin H. Armstrong

Invented super-heterodyne circuit and FM radio.

Gano Dunn

Author of more than thirty inventions in the design and construction of electrical machinery.

Arthur S. Dwight

Co-inventor of sulphide ore, pioneer in devising ways to extract metal from ore.

Henry Krumb

Pioneer in development of porphyry coppers.

Irving Langmuir

Produced the gas-filled incandescent lamp, explorer of the vacuum.

Leon S. Moisseiff

Outstanding bridge engineer.

Robert Peele

Editor of the “Mining Engineering Handbook;” distinguished service in contributions to the literature of mining.

Robert C. Stanley

Discovered Monel metal.

Arthur L. Walker

Invented Walker casting machine, system of electrolytic copper refining and devised process to separate nickel and copper fromores.

Stephan J.S. Pigott

Distinguished accomplishments in marine propulsion, particularly in turbine machinery.

Marston T. Bogert

Bogert became the first professor of organic chemistry at Columbia and an internationally known chemist, focusing on syntheticorganic chemistry.