Dear Engineering Alumni, Students and Friends,
The University of Kentucky College of Engineering has opened doors and provided me and my family opportunities that I could not have imagined when I graduated in May of 1979. I made many friends through dorm life and studying together that have turned into lifelong friendships to this day. The Big Blue Nation and network of UK Engineering graduates throughout the world continues to amaze me.
2023-2024 academic year looks to be exciting with this Freshman Engineering class being the largest ever in the history of UK Engineering. I would like to invite you to participate in the many alumni and student events the UKEAA has planned for this year. There will be several opportunities for you to engage with the Alumni Association and we'll be sure to notify you of upcoming events. Please make sure your contact information is up-to-date in order to receive the most recent communication. I would also recommend that you join the Wildcat Network as soon as possible. Please consider volunteering your time to support the many opportunities for alumni and students. Also, consider contributing to a fundraising event in the near future that will drive the future growth of the University and the UKEAA.
Please contact me with any questions or concerns. I look forward to hearing from you!
Best Regards,
Todd Johnson, MET 1979UKEAA President
Robyn Williams graduated from the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering in 1996 and received an MBA from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2001. She worked for Dow Corning in Manufacturing Engineering before her love of cars led her to a career in the automotive industry at Toyota and Nissan in EV product planning, telematics, and various strategy roles. Robyn is currently Global Business Strategy Director for Bridgestone’s Advanced Tire Solutions team. A passionate supporter of education, Robyn has served on a number of non-profit boards in the Nashville area and is currently Vice Chair of the Board of Directors at PENCIL for Schools.
Madhu Sekar graduated from the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor’s degree in Biosystems Engineering in 2022. Madhu is now a Manager at Procter & Gamble, a Fortune 50 company, at their largest volume site in North America. She is responsible for a 24/7 team on an automated robotic production line.
In her time at UK, Madhu stayed busy with numerous student organizations and experiential education. She served in leadership roles in Tau Beta Pi, Engineering Student Council, and was a College of Engineering Student Ambassador. She was a member of the Dean’s Leadership Class and graduated from the Lewis Honors College in the Scholars in Engineering and Management Program.
Since graduating, Madhu has continued in her passion for serving UK as an Engineering Alumni Ambassador and is a Men’s Basketball season ticket holder. She is honored to continue this journey as the Vice President of the UK Engineering Alumni Board for 2024-2025.
Leeann graduated from the University of Kentucky with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering in 2014 and from University of Louisville with a Masters of Science in Civil Engineering in 2015. She is currently employed at Louisville Gas & Electric as the Manager of Distribution Substation Engineering, Construction and Maintenance. Leeann has worked in various leadership and engineering roles at LG&E where she began as a co-op through the University of Kentucky cooperative education program. She is passionate about Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education and is involved in a number of programs to promote such. Leeann currently resides in Louisville, KY with her family.
Mark Hogge is a 1997 graduate of the University of Kentucky where he earned a B.S. in Chemical Engineering. He also received a BS in University Studies from Morehead State University.
After his graduation from the University of Kentucky he worked at Honeywell Process Solutions as a Controls Engineer working on DCS systems and PLC’s. In 2000, Mark joined Middough Inc. where he has gained over 20 years of experience in chemical and refining industries and more than 10 years of experience in project management. He is specialized in control system installations and implementation but is very comfortable working with engineering, maintenance and construction personnel on projects involving any discipline. Mark is the Client Account Manager (CAM) of the Marathon account. As such, he is responsible for all Middough work that is done for Marathon regardless of the location.
Mark has been active with the University of Kentucky Alumni Association and the UK College of Engineering Alumni Association. In 2017 he received the University of Kentucky Alumni Association Distinguished Service Award.
In addition to his involvement with the UK Alumni, Mark has proudly been the KSPE (KY Society of Professional Engineers) Ashland MATHCOUNTS Chapter coordinator for over 15 years and that is currently the Kentucky MATHCOUNTS State Coordinator. He received the 2014 KSPE MATHCOUNTS Outstanding Contributions award.
In his personal life, Mark resides in Catlettsburg Kentucky with his wife (Lisa) and youngest daughter Erica Balmer. His oldest daughter Brittany (Balmer) Boyd currently lives with her wife (Tiffany) who is stationed in England with the Air Force.
Isabel is a 2020 graduate of the University of Kentucky College of Engineering with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. In her time at UK, Isabel was passionate about giving back to the college and advancing the student educational experience. She held positions such as Engineering Ambassador, Alpha Gamma Delta Director for Academic Achievement and Chair of the Scholastic Incentives Committee. This work has continued after graduation in her position on the Board as Chair of the Academic Outreach Committee, as an Alumni Ambassador, and as an alumni mentor for the college of engineering. Isabel is working as a Systems Engineer for local company, Space Tango. Space Tango’s mission is to manufacture health and technology products in space that create value and transformational solutions. As a leader in automated systems, Space Tango pursues pathways to on-orbit production. Since 2019, she has been an engineer on 19 different payloads that launched on 9 different SpaceX Commercial Resupply missions as well as 20 more payloads in the queue for launch.
Auburn graduated from the University of Kentucky in 2021 with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and a Master of Science in Civil Engineering in 2023. Auburn is a Project Engineer at Brown + Kubican Structural Engineers where she is responsible for designing and detailing various building components, creating structural analysis models, coordinating with the design team, and developing construction documents. Founded in 2000, Brown + Kubican (BK) provides structural engineering design, analysis, and investigation services throughout the country and is constantly evolving to lead the industry forward. Their growing team of 42, including 35 engineers, makes BK the largest Kentucky-based Structural Engineering firm in the state.
Auburn is excited to be able to serve her university as the UK Engineering Alumni Board Secretary. During her collegiate time at UK, Auburn was involved in a host of leadership experiences including Vice President for the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Outreach Chair for the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), Engineering Student Ambassador, and Peer Mentor for the Living Learning Program. Additionally, she was in the Lewis Honors College Scholars in Engineering and Management Program, Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society, Structural Engineers Association, and Scholars in Engineering Leadership.
