Next week, on Thursday, October 14th at 3:30 p.m. Eastern time, we’ll be announcing the winners of the 2021 LEAP Awards (Leadership in Engineering Achievement Program). You may register for the live announcement here: https://webinars.on24.com/wtwh/LEAP2021
What sets this awards program apart from so many others is the involvement of the engineering community. As we do every year, our editorial team assembles a top-notch independent judging panel, comprised of a cross-section of OEM design engineers and academics — 12 professionals in total. No one here at WTWH Media chooses the winners; we leave that to the judges, to keep the process ethical and genuine. I am pleased to introduce our esteemed judging panel for 2021:
Bonnie Baker
Writer/Consultant
ATW, LLC
Bonnie Baker is a seasoned analog, mixed-signal, and signal chain professional and electronics engineer. Baker has published and authored hundreds of technical articles and blogs in industry publications. She is also the author of A Baker’s Dozen: Real Analog Solutions for Digital Designers, as well as coauthor of several other books. In past roles, she worked as a modeling, strategic marketing, IC architect, and designer engineer. Baker has an Electrical Engineering Masters from University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, and a bachelor’s degree in music education from Northern Arizona University (Flagstaff, Ariz.).
Plamen Doynov
Research Professor
University of Missouri, KC
Dr. Plamen Doynov is the CTO of EMP Shield, Burlington, Kans. The company develops technologies for protection of electrical and electronic infrastructure from the effects of high-altitude nuclear blast and intentional EMI (directed energy). Plamen was born in Bulgaria, where he completed his Engineering degree in Radio-electronics (Technical University of Sofia), followed by doctoral research in Biophysics (the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences). While a Visiting Research Scholar (the Physics Department of the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.), Plamen completed his Master of Electrical Engineering degree, followed by interdisciplinary doctoral studies and a PhD in Computer Sciences and Electrical Engineering at the University of Missouri in Kansas City.
For more than 20 years, Plamen was a Principal Engineer at MRI Global in Kansas City, working on multitude of scientific and engineering projects. He is a Project Management Professional and has multiple other professional specializations/certifications (machine vision, biometrics, data sciences, artificial intelligence, etc.) As a Research Professor at UMKC, Plamen worked on counter-UAV technologies. Currently, as an Adjunct Professor, he continues research in compact high-power microwave sources, high-altitude electromagnetic pulse, geo-magnetic disturbance, and mitigation of EMI. Plamen has multiple interdisciplinary publications and patents.
Geoffrey T. Haigh
Principal/Senior Partner
Haigh Consulting LLP
Geoffrey Haigh holds a BS in Physics and Instrumentation from Drew University and is a Principal Partner and Senior Scientist form Haigh Consulting, which creates IP and solves problems for clients. Haigh has 31 patents issues worldwide and was the originator and inventor of the ADI ICoupler technology during his time working for Analog Devices Inc. Devices he has designed and patented are on Mars rovers.
He also previously worked for Analogic Corporation on factory automation systems and nuclear measurement instrumentation.
Sam John
President
Innovative Products Inc.
As President of Innovative Products, Sam John is responsible for the design and manufacturing of various custom-built automatic machines for different industries. He also resolves design and manufacturing issues, conducts project meetings and issue status reports, manages budgets, submits project proposals, and directs projects. He’s worked with clients as varied as Medtronic, Tinker Air Force Base, GE Oil and Gas, and AVARA Pharmaceutical Services. Previously, he worked for Sorb Technology (now Fresenius) and Akzo-Nobel.
A member of the ASME, John has an MBA from Oklahoma City University, a Master’s in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Oklahoma and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Calicut.
Robert Kollman
Director
Kollman Power Engineering
Robert Kollman is a retired Senior Applications Manager and Distinguished Member of Technical Staff from Texas Instruments. He has more than 40 years of experience in the power electronics business and has designed circuits and magnetics for power electronics ranging from sub-watt to sub-megawatt with operating frequencies into the megahertz range. Kollman has published ~200 power electronics related contributed articles including the Power Tips series. He also was heavily involved in TI (Unitroode) Power supply seminar by writing articles, presenting the material to a worldwide audience and producing the seminar.
Amar Maniar
Senior Electrical Engineer
STV
Amar Maniar is a licensed Professional Engineer and IEEE senior member with a practical approach to problem solving. He is also a Chartered Engineer in the U.K. and enjoys streamlining complex requirements to simplify design approaches. Maniar has extensive experience designing various electrical systems from building-integrated utility-interactive solar power systems to lighting control systems, and even wastewater pumping station controls. He keeps his technical proficiency/knowledge relevant by achieving and maintaining pertinent certifications and licenses. This enables him to implement continuous improvement and develop innovative solutions. With degrees in electrical as well as computer engineering, his topics of interest include the power electronics and connectivity categories, as well as electrical-related submissions in the mechanical category. In his free time, he mentors high school students on electrical design and entrepreneurship. He has also published technical articles relating to the design and installation of low voltage and medium voltage switchgear.
Thomas E. Manley
Manager of Machine Design
Steris Corp.
Thomas Manley is Manager of Machine Design at Steris Corp., where he directs and designs the Automation Machinery for all Steris Manufacturing Plants. Manley is also a Part-Time Engineering instructor at Lakeland Community College and is the designer of 14-US Patents for various companies he has worked for. He has worked with High profile companies such as Harley-Davidson, American Axle, Meritor, Caterpillar, and Ford Motor Company, among others. Manley now supports the Steris Manufacturing Plants by implementing automation systems and small right size machines into all of Steris plants while adhering to strict budgets and goals.
Rabindra Kishore Mishra
Professor
Berhampur University
Rabindra Kishore Mishra holds a Bachelor’s in Science, as well as a Masters and PhD in Science under Sambalpur University, Orissa, India. His awards and recognitions include: INSA Teachers Award for the year 2015 by Indian National Science Academy; Samanta Chandra Sekhara Award for Working Scientists in the Field of Engineering and Technology for the Year 2008 from the Orissa Bigyan Academy (Department of Science & Technology in the Government of Orissa); Hari Ohm Saran Ashram Prerit Harivallabhdas Chunilal Shah Research Endowment prize for 2000-2001 for research papers in Electronics published during 1996-2000; and IETE J. C. Bose Memorial Award for best Engineering Science Oriented Paper.
Mishra’s current research areas are: Neurocomputational Electromagnetics; Knowledge Based and Space Mapped Propagation Models; Fractal Antennas; Active Patch Antenna for future communication systems; DNG Metamaterials and Systems; Artificial Magnetic Surfaces (High Impedance Surfaces); Electromagnetic Band Gap (EBG) Structures; Smart Multifunction Antennas; Data Compression and Reconstruction by using ANN Technique; Plasma Antenna Analysis; Smart Systems for Power Consumption Monitoring and Control; and Applied Image Processing.
Russell Olmsted
Independent Business Consultant
RCO2 & Associates LLC
Russell Olmsted is a Project Engineering consultant skilled in product and business development in the manufacturing industry. He is a recognized expert in fluid handling and filtration technologies. Olmsted opens new client opportunities using a solution selling approach built on Dale Carnegie fundamentals. He has a comprehensive background in professional engineering consultancy, with project management and service delivery for a wide range of organizations in the public and private sectors. Olmsted has an extensive knowledge of developing, constructing, selling and maintaining engineering projects to required specifications, with focus on the economy, safety, reliability, quality, and sustainability. He has wide-ranging experiences in business development, technical product development, marketing, and customer support.
Bill Schweber
Engineer, Author, Editor
Jaffa Engineering
Bill Schweber is an electronics engineer who has written three textbooks on electronic communications systems, as well as hundreds of technical articles, opinion columns, and product features. At Analog Devices Inc., he was in marketing communications, so he has been on both sides of the technical PR function, presenting company products, stories, and messages to the media. Prior to Analog, Schweber worked in product marketing and applications engineering groups. He also did hands-on analog- and power-circuit design and systems integration for materials-testing machine controls at Instron Corp.
He has an MSEE from the University of Massachusetts and a BSEE from Columbia University. He is a Registered Professional Engineer and holds an Advanced Class amateur radio license. Bill has also planned, written, and presented on-line courses on a variety of engineering topics, including MOSFET basics, ADC selection, and driving LEDs.
Mike Vasquez
CEO
3Degrees, LLC
Dr. Mike Vasquez is a 3D Printing expert, specializing in pushing the boundaries of advanced 3D printing technology. He is the Founder of 3Degrees, a Chicago-based consulting company focused on helping organizations maximize their investment in the technology. Over the past decade, Vasquez has worked side-by-side with some of the top machine manufacturers, material producers and end users in the industry, consulting with them to identify novel applications, test new materials, and develop frameworks to maximize R&D efficiency and boost ROI. He has also created a software tool called Trace. It aims to assist companies formalizing their use of 3D Printing to ensure they can meet quality and technical standards outlined by their supply chain and industry requirements.
Vasquez completed his PhD in Additive Manufacturing at Loughborough University and received both his Bachelor’s and Master’s from MIT in Materials Science and Engineering.
Daniel Zammit
Senior Systems Engineer
University of Malta
Daniel Zammit started his engineering adventure in 1998 when he attended the City & Guilds courses Technician Diploma in Applied Mechanical & Electrical Engineering, followed by the Advanced Technician Diploma in Applied Mechanical & Electrical Engineering, both at the ‘Mikilang Sapiano’ Technical Institute in Paola, Malta. Both courses consisted in a mix of academic, technical, and hand-on modules, including also an apprenticeship training period. The apprenticeship was done at Multi Packaging Limited, a leading corrugated carton factory in Malta, with the role of apprentice maintenance technician. Subsequently, after obtaining the City & Guilds technician qualifications he was employed full time with the maintenance team. The work consisted in troubleshoot, maintenance and installation of the factory machinery and utilities — a mix of electrical, electronic, and mechanical works.
Zammit continued his studies at the University of Malta and received the B.Eng and M.Sc. degrees in Electrical Engineering in 2007 and 2012, respectively. After obtaining the B.Eng degree, he worked as a Process Engineer at Carlo Gavazzi Ltd. The role consisted in introducing new and optimized assembly processes, and equipment in the production lines manufacturing Solid State Relays, as well as investigate and troubleshoot device failures to optimize the production/assembly of the manufactured devices.
Zammit is currently employed as a Senior Systems Engineer with the Department of Industrial Electrical Power Conversion at the Faculty of Engineering, University of Malta. He is currently reading for a Ph.D. degree on DC Microgrids. His research interests include Power Electronics, Grid-Connected Inverters, Power Converters, and Microgrids. He has published a number of academic papers and articles in these fields. These can be viewed on Daniel’s ResearchGate page: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Daniel_Zammit2
A hearty thank you to this year’s judging team, for all of the hard work!
Filed Under: Factory automation, Awards • acquisitions, Assembly automation, NEWS • PROFILES • EDITORIALS
