Alumni Award Winners Remarks 2016

Young Alumnus Achievement Award:

Kwanrawee Joy Sirikanchana

"It was a great honor to be selected as a Young Alumni Achievement awardee this year. Today is one of the most important days of my life, and I am delighted to share this special moment with all of you, and especially with my family: my husband Win and my daughter Serene.

"In 2001, a 21-year-old woman from Thailand who had never left home traveled half a world away to the University of Illinois, 8,500 miles away from her family, not knowing what life would be like during her master’s and PhD study there. But she believed! She believed in herself, and her country believed that this world-class university would give her the best knowledge in the field of Civil and Environmental Engineering, for her to bring back there and use that knowledge to benefit her home country.

"Today, March 2, 2016, that woman is standing here before you. And I would like to tell you that the University of Illinois prepared me with much more than just the advancement of knowledge in my field. Many things were instilled in me during my six years here at the university. I gained progressive knowledge from the best professors, as well as colleagues and peers. I got access to wonderful academic resources. I gained inspiration from success stories from alumni. I also learned to give, to share, to participate in volunteer projects and to shape my work to create an impact on people’s lives. The University of Illinois not only influenced my career, it also taught me to take pleasure in a well-balanced life, as an engineer, as a research scientist, as a graduate supervisor, as a mother of two, as a wife, as a daughter, and, finally…as an Illinois alumnus. And I am very proud of them all…

"I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my PhD supervisor Professor Benito Mariñas, and my co-supervisor, Professor Joanna Shisler, from the Department of Microbiology. Last but not least, I would like to thank the University of Illinois, the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, faculty, officers, current students and alumni, for being part of this accomplishment. You are the ones who have created and will create an impact on the world. Thank you all for your inspiration."

 

Distinguished Alumnus Award:

Henry M. Bellagamba

“I am very grateful to be one of the recipients of the 2016 Distinguished Alumnus Award. It is truly and honor that I will cherish my entire life. To be reviewed by my peers and have the achievements of my career considered worthy of this award is both humbling and gratifying.

“A sincere thanks to Jennifer Juarez, of my firm Fullerton Engineering, for submitting my candidacy, and to the Alumni Board for bestowing upon me such a high honor. Thanks also to Professor Mariñas and the Alumni staff for organizing this delightful dinner and congratulations to the other honorees.

“I have been blessed with an incredible partner in this journey, my always supportive and lovely wife Diana and our adorable children Sofia, Valentina and Arsenius, and I am very happy that you are sharing this award with me. I am indebted to your faithfulness and love. I am also pleased that my mother, sister and brother law are in attendance. Unfortunately, my late father, who was my partner and very close friend, cannot be here to share in this day.

“Finally, I would like to recognize all of my colleagues and staff at Fullerton who have steadfastly believed in my vision, goals and leadership. Their dedication made today possible.

“At age 29 I started the consulting firm that now has an 18‐year lifespan and continues to grow in its abilities and position in the marketplace. I can attest that those 18 years have been absolutely satisfying and roused passions in me that I didn’t know existed. I recall writing a short business plan, reviewing and approving it and there I was — a self‐proclaimed businessman. What an exhilarating feeling. By this time many of my skills had been sharpened through experience, but at the foundation of it all was my education. The U of I had forged the philosophical attributes required for me to be successful. Let me elaborate on the lessons implanted in me from our Civil Department.

“Everything about attending U of I was rigorous. The curriculum, the work load, the expectations. The professors of our department taught and ingrained in me to inquire deeply into our physical world for evidence to solve problems. I learned that in order to be a practitioner of a field of knowledge you must understand the fundamentals and be willing to perform independent investigations for answers. An attitude of respect and teamwork was absolutely impressed upon me by the Department. In conclusion the U of I prepared me for my career by instilling an ethos of knowledge, hard work, ethics, and striving to be the best in a competitive and challenging environment.

“Every year I attend this event I am reminded of the power of our timeless shared experiences at U of I and the positive impact that our top ranked Civil Department continues to have on all of us and society. In my opinion, to quote the philosopher Aristotle we are an example of “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts”. Thank you for granting me this Distinguished Alumnus award, I couldn’t be more proud and humbled to receive it in your presence.”

 

Joe Geagea

"It is a pleasure to be here tonight and an honor to be recognized as a recipient of this Award.

"I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the Board of Directors of the Alumni Association, and to the Department of Civil Engineering and its head Professor Benito Mariñas.

"Joining me tonight is my wife Marianne. Thank you for your love, support and partnership. I could not it do it without you… Marianne got her civil engineering degree from Berkeley but I often remind her that I attended the best civil engineering school in the world.

"I stand before you tonight with humility and gratitude… When I look at the names of those you have honored in the past with this award, I feel very privileged… Walter Hanson, Ray Epstein, Harold Sandberg, Fazlur Khan. These are the giants I looked up to when I was going to school.

"I came to this country at the tender age 17 from a modest family. I had never been that far away from home.  And right here, in the heart of the Midwest, I discovered America. The people I met at Illinois showed me kindness. They respected me for who I am and for my capabilities.

"My time at the U of I played a prominent role in my career. Every time I visit the campus, I am reminded of how my professors inspired and supported me when I was a student. One of those professors is here tonight. Prof. German Gurfinkel, your presence tonight means a lot to me.  And here, I have to thank another Professor who could not be here this evening, William Hall. Prof. Hall was my advisor and his counsel to accept the job at Chevron is the reason I am standing in front of you. For Bill, I am forever grateful….

"Since I left the university, and over the last 34 years I have been fortunate to work with tremendous individuals, many of whom are engineers. Of the 60,000 employees at Chevron more than 13,000 are engineers.  Each and every day, these engineers work hard to improve the standard of living of millions of people around the world by providing safe, reliable and affordable energy. 

"I learned so much at Illinois and not just about engineering. People trusted me and took a chance on me. And I’ve tried to do the same. I try to take chances on people too. When I mentor younger folks, I help them see the art of the possible, to take a chance on themselves, to live up to their potential.

"In closing, I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to attend and graduate from this wonderful university and world class department. I am truly honored and humbled by the gesture.

"I congratulate the other recipients and I wish the Alumni Association, the U of I and its Civil Engineering Department continued success. Thank you."