Alumni and Class of 2024 Graduates Honored in WAA Awards Ceremony

Wentworth Institute of Technology alumni have forged a strong reputation for their impact in the community and throughout the world, but also for their strong support of current students and fellow alumni through mentorship, co-ops, and jobs.

On Friday, August 16, The Wentworth Alumni Association (WAA) Awards Ceremony featured eight alumni honored in a variety of categories, in addition to Class of 2024 students receiving awards for the highest grade point average in their respective majors.

WAA President Casey Galante, Architecture '12 and Wentworth President Mark A. Thompson both spoke. WAA Board member Kerrie Julian, Architecture '93 helped present the evening's awards.

The alumni awards are as follows:

Young Alumni Award - Abel Arguedas, Civil Engineering '14

Honoring the talents as well as the personal and professional growth of an individual who has graduated within the past 10 years, who has worked to stay connected to Wentworth and the community, and continues to live in the spirit of the mission of Wentworth.

Arguedas is a quiet, but strong leader who works for the city of Boston. He uses his love of sports to forge relationships and trust among peers, and others in the construction community and industry. Arguedas is highly talented and self-motivated and strives to perform his best every day by helping others by passing on knowledge to newcomers in the industry that he has acquired through certifications and experiences.

Alumni Mentorship Award - Michael Santora, Architectural Engineering Technology '05

Recognizing an individual who has supported the professional development of other Wentworth alumni as they began their careers, strengthening the broader Wentworth community through the generous support of others.

As the esteemed Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Accelerate, Wentworth's Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center, Santora has profoundly impacted current students by working with them one-on-one to provide personalized guidance and support as they launch and grow their businesses. From developing provisional patent applications and crafting compelling pitch decks to refining financial projections and expanding their networks, he has dedicated time, energy, and resources to ensure these students can succeed. Wentworth's Accelerate staff has been fortunate enough to collaborate with Santora in various capacities, including as a pitch competition judge, an inspiring entrepreneurship speaker, and through his dedicated efforts to discover innovative avenues for the Center's growth and success.

Alumni Entrepreneurship Award - Kristopher Stephenson, Architecture '12 and Michele Harrington, Architecture '12.

Honoring an individual, or individuals, who used their hands-on Wentworth experience to start their own company or who is active in a start-up.

Stephenson and Harrington met and started dating while they were students at Wentworth. After graduation in 2012, they began their professional careers at major construction firms in the greater Boston area. Eventually, they moved to Upstate NY to start a design & construction company and they were featured on HGTV's First Time Flippers, which was spotlighted in Season 3, Episode 3 during their first house flip. The pair manages multiple projects and have now have three children together.

Alumni Inclusive Excellence Award - Lindsay Malatesta, Industrial Design '14

Honoring an individual working in their field or within the Wentworth community to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.

Malatesta has a wide breadth of work experience spanning hard and soft goods, toys, medical devices, and outdoor gear. Her passion is using design to tell stories and advocates for diverse and inclusive research to ensure the design world makes better products for more people. As an outdoor industry professional, she is dedicated to making the outdoors more accessible and pushing industry standards for eco-friendly products. She is also a member of the women's chapter of IDSA and the founder of Unif-ID, a community space for women & non-binary industrial designers to connect, collaborate, mentor, and support one another. Through her work with Unif-ID, she helps create more space in the ID field for underrepresented groups.

Women at Wentworth Award - Noelle Benavides, Biological Engineering '19

Honoring a woman identifying member of the alumni community who is an emerging leader or has established herself as a leader in her field, advocates for the support and advancement of women, and/or contributes to the network and growth of women at Wentworth.

Benavides is a recent graduate and a staunch advocate for the university. As the inaugural Recent Alumni Trustee, she has continued her passion and engagement with Wentworth beyond graduation. She has served on alumni panels at prospective student dinners and events, sharing her experiences as a student and young professional, and serving as a role model for the next generation. As a member of the Board, she is always present and holds herself with the professionalism and poise that matches the other Trustees. In her tenure, she has encouraged stronger Trustee attendance at campus events.

Philip J. Brooks Alumni Leadership Award - Eric Greene, Facilities & Planning Management '95

Established in honor past WAA President Philip J. Brooks, this award is presented to an individual who gives back to the university and exhibits leadership characteristics that strengthen the pride and spirit that others feel toward Wentworth.

Greene has a long career of service to Wentworth. He has served on the Wentworth Alumni Association Board of Directors for 16 years and was the President from 2021 to 2023. He has also served on the Alumni Golf Tournament committee for six years, which has attracted over 300 golfers and raised significant money for the Wentworth Fund. Greene's contributions have significantly strengthened the pride and spirit of the Wentworth community, embodying the very essence of this prestigious award.

Distinguished Employer Award - BR+A Consulting Engineers

Recognizing a company nominated by its employees for being a great place to work for our graduates.

Led by dedicated Wentworth alumni, BR+A actively seeks out emerging talent from Wentworth. Its active participation in both fall and spring career fairs has resulted in a consistent presence of at least 10 Wentworth co-op students working at the firm each year. This enduring partnership spans over 25 years, demonstrating a genuine investment in our students' success. BR+A's values and work environment seamlessly integrate with Wentworth's emphasis on practical education and problem-solving, allowing co-op students to contribute significantly from day one. With 61 alumni employed at the company (spanning graduation years from 1975 to 2024), it consistently provides mentorship and invaluable opportunities to Wentworth students.

Gold Leopard Award - Rick Grundy, Computer Science '03

The highest award granted by the WAA, recognizing individuals with a long-term commitment and outstanding loyalty to Wentworth, the community, the state, and the nation, who strive for excellence and achievement.

Grundy has served as an active volunteer for a decade-from the Alumni Association to the University Advisors and currently as a Trustee. He credits his professional success to the co-op program, which allowed him to gain experience as a student at AVTECH, where he has spent his entire professional career. He joined AVTECH in 2001 as Product Development Manager and rose through several engineering and management roles, becoming President & COO in December 2015 before being elevated to President & CEO in 2023. Grundy manages the execution of the strategic plan across multiple AVTECH locations in the United States, Ireland, and the United Arab Emirates, as well as its contract manufacturing affiliate, Mirian Solutions, in Pennsylvania. Under his leadership, AVTECH entered its 35th anniversary in 2023 with record-setting customer growth, and its Room Alert products can be found in 187 of 196 countries.

The WAA also recognized the following Class of 2024 students with Awards for Academic Achievement, presented to the students in the August graduating class with the highest GPA in their respective programs. This year's winners are:

From the School of Architecture and Design

• Rachel Dahlia Bach, Interior Design
• Allison Mara Connolly, Industrial Design

From the School of Computing and Data Science

• Noah Todd Gagnon, Computer Networking
• Robert William Merryman, Cybersecurity
• Sofia D. Sawyer, Applied Mathematics
• Ethan Wu, Computer Science

From the School of Engineering

• Maria Katerina Apostle, Electrical Engineering
• Thomas Eugeniusz Bramowski, Civil Engineering
• Hayley Sonjon Devine, Biological Engineering
• Clayton Jonathan Harper, Mechanical Engineering
• John Vincent Horan III, Electromechanical Engineering
• Derek Li Huang, Computer Engineering
• Jeffrey Steven Rodden, Biomedical Engineering

From the School of Management

• Joshua Chen Huang, Business Management
• Ian Robert Jackson, Project Management
• Holden King, Construction Management
• Danielle Sophy Topale, Computer Information Systems

From the School of Sciences & Humanities

• Matthew Richards, Applied Sciences