School of Engineering to celebrate Distinguished Alumni Award winners on March 27

The University of New Mexico School of Engineering will host its annual Distinguished Alumni Awards on Friday, March 27 to celebrate the accomplishments of outstanding graduates and the power of philanthropic giving.

The event will be held at Sandia Resort and Casino and hosted by Donna Riley, Jim and Ellen King Dean of Engineering and Computing.

Cocktail hour begins at 5:30 p.m., with the ceremony and dinner beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Tickets to the event will be free this year thanks to the generous support of our sponsors. RSVP at goto.unm.edu/2026tickets to claim your tickets by Wednesday, March 18.

This year's honorees are:

• Girum Urgessa, Gerald May Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering

• R. Dennis Vigil, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering

• John M. McGhee, Department of Nuclear Engineering

• Eileen Higgins, Department of Mechanical Engineering

• Aaron Clauset, Department of Computer Science

• George E. Gorospe Jr., Young Alumni Award in Mechanical Engineering

• Brady Key, Young Alumni Award in Computer Science

• Doug Campbell, Spirit of Philanthropy Award

• Roger Koerner, Spirit of Philanthropy Award

• Gerald May and Mahmoud Reda Taha, Spirit of Philanthropy Award

Questions about the event can be addressed to Maracea Chase at [email protected] or (505) 277-0664.

Photo: Donna Riley, Jim and Ellen King Dean of Engineering and Computing, presents a 2024 Distinguished Alumni Award to Brian Burnett.