Pitt's Swanson School of Engineering Honors Notable Alumni at 2009 Distinguished Alumni Banquet March 3

PITTSBURGH-In recognition of individual alumni accomplishments in their respective fields, the University of Pittsburgh's Swanson School of Engineering and its departments will honor seven alumni at the 2009 Distinguished Alumni Banquet March 3 in the J.W. Connolly Ballroom of Alumni Hall, 4227 Fifth Ave., Oakland. The awards include the school-wide Distinguished Alumni Award, the Young Alumni Award, and alumni awards for each of the Swanson School's departments.

"We have been formally celebrating the success of our alumni since the inception of the Distinguished Alumni Awards in 1964," said Gerald Holder, Pitt's U.S. Steel Dean of Engineering. "Every year we are impressed by the achievements of the Swanson School alumni body, which today comprises approximately 25,000 alumni living around the world."

Honorees include Stephen R. Tritch, Distinguished Alumnus; Ray Andrick, Young Alumnus; and distinguished alumni awards for the individual departments, including James McCaffrey, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering; Ronald G. Stovash, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering; Timothy Shack, Department of Industrial Engineering; Luke Gill, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science; and Richard Baxendell, Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering.

Brief biographical information for the awardees follows. For full biographies, visit the Swanson School's Web site at www.engr.pitt.edu/alumni/spring09/bios.html

Stephen R. Tritch served as chair of Westinghouse Electric Company before recently retiring. In more than 35 years with Westinghouse, Tritch worked as the president and CEO and senior vice president of Nuclear Services and held numerous other managerial positions. He was named the 2004 "Engineer of the Year" by the Pittsburgh section of the American Society of Mechanical Engineering International. He is a member of the American Nuclear Society and was appointed by President Bush to the President's Export Council. Tritch earned his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and his MBA degree at Pitt in 1971 and 1977, respectively. He is chair of the Swanson School of Engineering's Board of Visitors and serves on Pitt's Board of Trustees. He was named the Department of Mechanical Engineering Distinguished Alumnus in 2003 and also was named a Distinguished Alumni Fellow by the University. He is chair of the Board of Trustees for the Senator John Heinz History Center and also serves on the Board of Trustees for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, United Way of Allegheny County, and Allegheny County Conference on Community Development.

Ray Andrick is the director of software development for Inmedius Software. He joined Inmedius in 2007 with more than 10 years of technical and managerial experience in software development projects. Andrick cofounded and served as president of Perceptive Solutions, Inc., a technology company specializing in the development of enterprise software solutions for the collection and processing of commercial and military aircraft records. In this position, he was responsible for managing all aspects of the product lifecycle and provided overall corporate leadership and direction. He has served as a project leader and systems engineer at Electronic Data Systems, where he worked in various capacities in support of the Automotive and Utilities Divisions. He also has worked as a technical director for the Salient Corporation. Andrick earned a bachelor's degree in electrical and computer engineering at Pitt in 1990.

James McCaffrey is the senior vice president of CONSOL Energy Inc., a multifaceted energy company specializing in coal and natural gas as well as transportation and other energy services. In his 33-year career, McCaffrey has contributed to several underground mining innovations, including roof support technologies, longwall move methodology, and new equipment development. McCaffrey earned a BS degree in mining engineering and an MBA degree at Pitt in 1978 and 1987, respectively. He is a member of the Pitt Alumni Association and the Panther Club. He serves as a trustee of Washington and Jefferson College, supports the Boy Scouts of America, and participates in a number of other industry organizations.

Ronald Stovash served the energy industry as a member of the World Coal Institute, International Energy Agency, National Mining Association, U.S. Marine Transportation Council, West Virginia Public Energy Authority, National Coal Transportation Association, U.S. Inland Waterway Board, and other state associations. Before retiring in 2007, Stovash served as the president and CEO of PinnOak Resources, a coal mining company, as well as holding various positions within CONSOL Energy Inc., where he served as both a laborer and an executive for more than 35 years. Stovash earned a BS degree in electrical engineering at Pitt in 1970. He was a member and vice chair of the Electrical Engineering Visiting Committee and was instrumental in reintroducing the mining industry curriculum to Pitt's engineering school.

Timothy Shack is the chair of PNC Global Investment Servicing, where he is responsible for strategic business initiatives and technology advances. In addition, he oversees PNC's technology and operations efforts. Shack earned a BS degree in industrial engineering and an MBA degree at Pitt in 1972 and 1979, respectively. An active member of his community, Shack has served on the board of the United Way of Allegheny County, where he chairs the Technology Committee and is active on the Finance and Strategic Planning Committee. Shack also has served as a member of the Bethel Park Community Foundation and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Corporate Information Technology Advisory Council.

Luke Gill is founder and president of G Squared Limited, an aerospace and defense consulting company focused on strategic planning, business development, logistics, and supply-chain management. He joined Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company after having served in executive positions with Continental and Northwest Airlines as well as vice president of maintenance and engineering at Southwest Airlines. While serving as vice president of Lockheed Martin, he was responsible for leading and developing the logistics and sustainment concepts for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the most complex weapons system in the history of the U.S. military. Gill earned a BS degree in mechanical engineering at Pitt in 1965. After graduation, he spent 25 years in the U.S. Air Force as an aircraft maintenance officer and logistician.

Richard Baxendell has been with Bayer Material Science (BMS) in various capacities for more than 24 years. During a variety of assignments in production capacities with BMS, he helped lead the successful startup of $100 million worth of capital projects. As president and CEO of Deerfield Urethane, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of BMS, Baxendell helped the company set records for sales and profitability. Baxendell earned a BS degree in chemical and petroleum engineering from Pitt in 1980.

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