Alumni Connections

Trueman Goba CEE MEng ’86, a shout-out of congratulations to Trueman, who has been named honorary fellow by the Royal Academy of Engineering. Trueman is the Chairman of Hatch Africa, part of HATCH LTD and is also President of the South African Academy of Engineering. Trueman received his B.S. in Civil Engineering at the University of Natal, Durban and he graduated in 1986 with a Master of Engineering from the  School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Cornell.

Jerome Hajjar M.S. ’85, Ph.D. ’88 has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering, Class of 2022. His citation reads: “For development of design criteria and models for stability and seismic design of innovative steel and composite structures.” Hajjar is the CDM Smith Professor and Chair of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Northeastern University in Boston.

Mike Rolband B.S. ’80, M.Eng. ’81, MBA ’82 has been appointed Director of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) by Governor Glenn Youngkin, effective January 15, 2022.  DEQ’s Mission is to protect and enhance the environment of Virginia in order to promote the health and well-being of the Commonwealth’s citizens, residents and visitors in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.  DEQ is responsible for administering laws and regulations related to air quality, water quality, water supply, renewable energy and land protection through the work of nearly 800 employees at six regional offices across the state and the central office in Richmond, VA.

Jawad Shaikh ’92 is a Partner at international management consulting firm Roland Berger. Jawad went into consulting shortly after leaving Cornell and his experience spans the US, the UK & Europe, and the Middle East where he’s been based for the last 10+ years. Jawad leads the firm’s Telecom Media & Technology sector and Digital practices, and in between his consulting stints, he has also held an executive-level role for a regional telecom player, and gained experience of digital start-ups as a founder/investor.

Constantine “Costis” Toregas MS’70, PhD ’71 writes: “It is 50 years since I left Hollister Hall with my Ph.D., fresh and eager to conquer- because of folks like Arnim Meyburg and Pete Loucks whom I discerned in a recent Zoom call photo!  So glad!  My trajectory took me to non-engineering places like Public Technology Inc. for 30 years, where I helped mayors and commissioners bring technology into their operations, and another 20 at GWU where I am preparing the next generation of cyber warriors. The journey was made easier by my Cornell preparation. I wonder what happened to the grad students with whom I huddled in the 4th floor cubicles- Fernando and Allistair and many others who helped me make it through? I am still working hard, and also serve on many non-profit boards as there is a lot of work yet to be done in sustainability, the role of women in society and the role of governments in our everyday challenges.