Initiated in 1992, the Hall of Distinction recognizes and honors UK Engineering alumni for exemplary professional accomplishments, outstanding character and an ongoing commitment to community service. Every member of the Hall of Distinction is honored with a plaque in the lobby of the Ralph G. Anderson Mechanical Engineering Building. All members and extended bios are listed here.
Carey G. Buxton, B.S. in electrical engineering, 1994, M.S. in electrical engineering, 1996
As a senior engineer at the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) Center for Antennas and Propagation, Buxton leads critical efforts supporting national security and is currently developing new nonlinear approaches to analyze and design antennas. Prior to her tenure at the CIA, she dedicated more than 14 years to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), where she established and managed the Antenna Systems Development Facility (ASDF). Under her leadership, the ASDF became a critical national resource for antenna design and characterization, supporting law enforcement and intelligence agencies worldwide. Among her many technical achievements, Buxton holds two U.S. patents: the Tulip Antenna with Tuning Stub, widely deployed across government agencies and international partners, and a novel Thin Film Metal Detector used to evaluate antenna disruptions caused by metallic films. She also oversaw the construction and development of the Hemispherical Near Field Range (HNFR) facility, a state-of-the-art U.S. Government resource for measurement of vehicle mounted antennas, where she created and implemented a MATLAB toolkit for Near-to-Far Field algorithms, which supports the HNFR antenna characterization.
Mike Hancock, B.S. in civil engineering, 1978
For over four decades, Hancock has served the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet in infrastructure development. He has served as deputy state highway engineer for planning and program management in the State Highway Engineer’s Office, where he became KYTC’s expert on the Six-Year Highway Plan, chief of staff to two KYTC secretaries from 2007-08 and was Secretary Joe Prather’s state highway engineer in 2009. In 2010, he was appointed secretary of transportation by Gov. Steve Beshear and served until early 2016. In this role, Hancock oversaw major projects such as the I-64 Sherman Minton Bridge closure, Brent Spence Bridge, Milton-Madison Bridge, Kentucky Lake Bridge, Lake Barkley Bridge and Louisville Bridges Project. He also managed I-69 development, I-65 and I-64 widening, Mountain Parkway expansion, and the US-460 Appalachian Corridor Q relocation in Pike County. Hancock continued his career in the private sector from 2016 through 2019. In 2020, he returned to the KYTC when he was appointed by Gov. Andy Beshear into his current role of deputy secretary.
Mark Rhodes, B.S. in mechanical engineering, 1984
Since 2019, Rhodes has served as a senior advisor for Belcan. He transitioned to the role after retiring in 2018 as vice president of engineering and technology for Rolls-Royce North America, where he was responsible for the design, development, certification and in-service support of Rolls-Royce products in Indianapolis. Under his leadership, a team of over 1,500 engineers worked to advance cutting-edge propulsion systems. His role also encompassed developing key people, processes and technologies that ensured the company’s ongoing competitiveness in a rapidly evolving industry. Throughout his 34-year career with Rolls-Royce, Rhodes held several high-profile positions, including vice president of the F136 program for the F-35 Lightning II fighter jet, F136 chief engineer, chief engineer for the AE 2100 Turboprop Engines, chief engineer for the F-35B LiftFan and chief engineer for Rolls-Royce Defence Engines. In the latter role, he had technical and product safety responsibilities for all defense, helicopter, energy and marine product lines in Indianapolis.
Mary Shelman, B.S. in chemical engineering, 1981
Shelman is a global expert with decades of experience in agribusiness. From 1992 to 2003, Shelman chaired the board and headed strategy and business development at RiceTec, a genetics/agribusiness venture that is now the largest U.S. rice seed company, and also served on the board of its parent company, Prince of Liechtenstein Foundation. From 2005 to 2016, Shelman served as director of Harvard Business School’s Agribusiness program. In leading the program, which includes the renowned Harvard Agribusiness Seminar for senior executives, she developed 60+ case studies highlighting situations of strategic change and transformational leadership by working with CEOs of industry-leading firms including Nestlé, Monsanto, Olam, Alltech, Barilla, Domino's and Yum China. In 2015, she founded Shelman Group, a Boston-based boutique strategy consulting firm that helps organizations navigate the evolving food and agriculture landscape. Internationally, Shelman has served as the president of the International Food and Agribusiness Management Association. She also served as a strategic advisor for The Irish Food Board, where she developed the vision and strategy that lead to the 2012 launch of Origin Green, the world’s first and only national-level sustainability program. In 2025, Origin Green includes 300 companies, 55,000 farmers and accounts for 90% of Irish food and drink exports.
Sujit Sinha, B.S. in mechanical engineering, 1983, Ph.D. in aerospace engineering, 2023
Sinha began his career as an aerospace engineer at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, where he managed the Main Propulsion System console during space shuttle launches and designed shuttle ascent flight trajectories. Following the Challenger disaster, he served on the Presidential Commission’s Challenger Accident Analysis Team and the subsequent Solid Rocket Motor redesign and space shuttle return to flight teams, receiving seven NASA citations for exemplary work achievement. Seeking to bridge the gap between engineering and management, Sinha moved on to the Coleman Research Corporation, where he served as a consultant to the Department of Defense and then as a manager at A.T. Kearney, which included a three-year assignment in the United Kingdom, specializing in strategic planning, market assessments, and operational improvements. He further honed his expertise in business transformation during his 13-year tenure at Motorola, where he held senior leadership positions, including senior director of IT strategy, architecture, and innovation and senior director of global IT supplier management. As Chief Information Officer at Rev Up Brands, Sinha spearheaded IT modernization efforts that enabled significant revenue growth, including the deployment of cloud-based enterprise resource planning and e-commerce solutions.
Brian Stewart, B.S. in computer engineering, 1996
After the sale of his first business, Stewart joined Ernst & Young, where he transitioned into HR and payroll solutions. Over the subsequent years, he worked for both consulting firms and as an independent consultant, playing a pivotal role in designing, developing, and managing the implementation of integrated payroll and HR systems across diverse industries. Stewart spent the last 12 years as a managing director at Deloitte Consulting, where he spearheaded implementations for organizations such as Walmart, Google and American Airlines. Additionally, he held the position of Human Resource Transformation innovation leader and served as the Arizona market leader responsible for overseeing consulting operations within the state. His leadership significantly contributed to the development and adoption of cutting-edge HR and payroll technologies, leaving a lasting impact on global business operations. Stewart’s professional journey has taken him to various locations worldwide, including living in both Malaysia and Australia, and extensive time working in over 30 additional countries. In January 2025, Stewart retired from Deloitte Consulting and is currently engaged in establishing new businesses that leverage his in-demand skills and expertise.
