Alumni Board Members

Louis H. Johnson, Jr.
Applied Engineering Sciences 1996

Louis Johnson graduated from Michigan State with a degree in Applied Engineering Sciences (then Engineering Arts) in 1996. His term on the Alumni Board is from 2006 to 2009.

Fritz Klingler
Civil Engineering
1988

Fritz Klingler graduated from Michigan State University, with B.S. and M.S. Degrees in Civil Engineering, and an emphasis in Geotechnical Engineering. Mr. Klingler has authored numerous technical papers and articles on deep foundations, tunnels, and shafts, and was recently named "Engineer of the Year" by the Michigan Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). He is a Past President of the Detroit Metro Chapter of Michigan Society of Professional Engineers (MSPE), past Vice President of MSPE in charge of the Southeastern Region, past President of the Southeastern Michigan Branch of ASCE, past chairman of the Michigan State University College of Civil Engineering Professional Advisory Board, and current President of the Professional Engineers in Private Practice (PEPP) division of MSPE. He is also currently chairman of the fundraising effort to establish a permanent scholarship endowment for the MSU chapter of Chi Epsilon, the Civil Engineering Honor Society. Mr. Klingler lives in Troy, Michigan, and is married with four children in elementary school.

Matthew Ply
Mechanical Engineering
1997

Matthew Ply has worked for General Motors since graduating BSME in 1997. He has held positions in Vehicle Engineering, Noise and Vibration, Product Development and Cost Reduction. After launching the 2010 Cadillac SRX, he started his current assignment as Exterior Lighting Quality Lead. He is also the Product Development Functional Recruiting Leader for Michigan State University. He received his MBA from the University of Michigan in 2001. Mr. Ply is also a registered DFSS Green Belt and has a patent registered with the US Patent office.
Contact information: matthew.m.ply@gm.com
(586) 907-0914 (work cell)

Betty Shanahan
Electrical Engineering 1978

Donnie Haye
Applied Engineering Sciences 1981

Donnie Haye is the Vice President, Client and Channel Enablement, Integrated Supply Chain for IBM. She held many leadership positions in finance, operations, and marketing in multiple IBM businesses, throughout the US, Europe and Asia. She has received numerous IBM awards and has a patent pending.

Donnie also received an MBA in 1983 from the Kellogg School at Northwestern University, with concentrations in policy, finance and marketing. She was an FC Austin Scholar while at Northwestern.

Gary Hockstra
Chemical Engineering, 1980

Gary Hockstra is the Vice President of Operations, Supply Chain and Discrete Manufacturing, and is a member of the Operations Leadership Team.

Hockstra joined Dow in 1980 in Midland working in R&D in several different areas. In 1983 he moved to pharmaceuticals manufacturing, and in early 1985 moved to Italy to design, build, and run a new pharmaceutical plant on the Garessio site. He returned to Midland in 1989 working in the Pharmaceutical Tech Center. He moved to Global Process Control in 1991 as the Project Manager of the Dow Mod 5 Operator Work Station Project. In 1993 he moved to Terneuzen, The Netherlands, where he worked in the Styron/Tyril plant consolidating the control rooms with the Operator Station system. In 1994 he moved to LHC 1 as the cracker production leader. In 1996 he moved to Texas as the LHC Technology Leader. In 2000 he assumed the additional responsibility of LHC R&D director. Late 2002 he was named Manufacturing Director of Engineering Plastics, and in 2004 he assumed the role of Manufacturing Director for Engineering Polymers (Engineering Plastics plus Polystyrene). In 2007 he was named Vice President and Site Director - Texas Operations in Freeport. Hockstra was named Vice President of Manufacturing and Engineering for Advanced Materials in September 2011. In October 2012 Hockstra was named Vice President of Operations, Supply Chain, and Discrete Manufacturing.

Gary is married to Ruth. They have two children, Nicholas and Cristina.

Brian Kent
Electrical Engineering 1980

Brian Kent is Senior Scientist for Low Observables and Electromagnetics, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. He performs and directs research and development activities at the Multi-Spectral Measurement Facility, a national Center of Excellence within the Sensors Directorate. He has authored/co-authored more than 75 archival articles and technical reports and has written key sections of classified textbooks and design manuals. He developed a special DoD Low Observables Short Course that has been taught to over 2,000 DoD Scientists since 1989. He is an international technical adviser for the DoD, has been an invited guest lecturer to the United Kingdom's Cranwell Air War College and has served as thesis adviser at the Air Force Institute of Technology.

Keith Landau
Computer Science 1982
 

Keith Landau is the Chief Product Officer for GENBAND, and is responsible for the Product vision and execution for the company. The functions include Product Management (business), Technology / R&D (product development) and corporate quality.

Steven H. Noll
Electrical Engineering 1974

Steven Noll is a partner in the Chicago firm of Schiff Hardin LLP. Noll counsels clients in all areas of intellectual property focusing primarily on patents. He is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, the Sixth Circuit, the Seventh Circuit, the Eighth Circuit and the Eleventh Circuit, as well as the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, including the Trial Bar. Noll is also admitted to practice before the U.S. Claims Court and the U.S. International Trade Commission. Noll is also registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Vandy Johnson
Computer Science 1982

Vandy Johnson was named Vice President, Global IT Infrastructure in January 2007. He has responsibility for leading the development, implementation and support of a global IT infrastructure that will help support and sustain Medtronic's business strategy.  Mr. Johnson is also a member of Medtronic's Global Technology Council. Mr. Johnson joined Medtronic from General Mills, Inc. where he held numerous roles of increasing responsibility in IT, most recently as the Senior Director, Information Systems Operations.

Bellandra Foster
BS Civil & Environmental Engineering 1983,
PhD 1999

Bellandra Foster is president and principal engineer of BBF Engineering Services, PC, specializing in road- and bridge-related construction engineering, traffic and transportation engineering, utility and permit coordination and project management. BBF was profiled in Black Enterprise magazine and in Essence magazine and has been highlighted in Michigan Contractor and Builder magazine, Jet magazine and the Detroit Free Press. Dr. Foster has delivered commencement addresses at the engineering schools of the University of Notre Dame and Wayne State University. She has also authored a book titled For Love and Money: Seven Guidelines for Achieving Success in Your Home and Business.

Phil Fioravante
Applied Engineering Sciences 1984

Phil Fioravante is currently employed by TMW Enterprises, LLC a private equity firm with specialization in electronics, plastics, new technology consumer products, software technologies and real estate holdings and serves as Senior Vice President. He is currently an active member in SAE and MSED, sits on several privately-owned company Board of Directors, serves on the President's Advisory Board at Walsh College. He has taught at Walsh College as an Adjunct Asst. Professor of Management & Marketing since 2001.  Dr. Fioravante received his PhD from Capella University .