Bryan Hanson

These are challenging times to be in charge of 11 nuclear reactors at six stations in the State of Illinois. One might think all times would be challenging given that responsibility and Exelon Nuclear Senior Vice President of Midwest Operations Bryan Hanson (BSNEEP, ’88) would not disagree.

“It’s a great career but not for the faint of heart, certainly,” Hanson says. “These reactors obviously run 24/7. My weekends and holidays are most often disrupted but it’s a fascinating job.” Continue reading →

Roger Cooley

There have always been social and political considerations influencing engineering decisions, but if there is one thing Roger Cooley (BSCEE, ’76) could convey to today’s graduates, it’s that those considerations are now a much bigger part of the engineering profession. Continue reading →

James Thompson

Long before apps and email became the main reasons to keep a mobile phone in your pocket, James Thompson arrived at a then-small California startup called Qualcomm to begin work on implementing what would become one of the most common protocols for cellular phone calls in the world. Continue reading →

Tanya Higgins

Five years into a successful career with John Deere, Tanya Higgins began looking for a way to “tie the bow on the package” of her professional goals. That desire led her in 2004 to the Master of Engineering Professional Practice (MEPP) program.

Since graduating from MEPP in 2006, Higgins has received an impressive five promotions in six years with John Deere. “I already had my undergraduate schooling as a solid foundation and my career experiences as building blocks,” says Higgins, a 1994 materials engineering graduate of Youngstown State University. “What I needed was a way to tie it all together to help me make the transition from executing the ideas of others to communicating my ideas to others and inspiring their engagement. MEPP helped me develop that.” Continue reading →