The College of Engineering and Computing (CEC) recognized distinguished alumni and thanked donors at the Alumni Awards and Benefactor Dinner at the Pastides Alumni Center on Thursday, March 30.
Kallie Metzger, Gerardine Botte and Deepal Eliatamby were recognized for their achievements and impacts in nuclear, chemical and civil engineering.
“These alumni represent the college well with their tremendous work ethic and commitment to improving lives and communities. They are also an inspiration to our current students, and we are extremely proud to call them alumni of the College of Engineering and Computing,” says CEC Dean Hossein Haj-Hariri.
Senior biomedical engineering major Lauren Speck welcomed those in attendance and mentioned how her personal experiences caring for her grandmother, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, and her interest in science and math “fueled a passion” and led her to the CEC’s biomedical engineering program. Speck also spoke about how her research experiences allowed her to support the journey of finding a cure for biomedical diseases like Alzheimer’s, while learning about the many technologies to aid modern medical treatments.
Outstanding Young Alumni
Kallie Metzger (M.E. ‘13, Ph.D. ‘16, nuclear engineering)
Metzger is the manager of accident tolerant fuels technology within Westinghouse’s Digital and Innovation Organization in Columbia. As a technical leader, she manages an interdisciplinary engineering team and develops programs to ensure the successful delivery of advanced nuclear fuels. Prior to Westinghouse, she worked at the Idaho and Savannah River National Laboratories.
Her research focus areas include advanced fuel design and manufacturing and advanced reactor development. She also serves in multiple advisory roles including Westinghouse representative for the Nuclear Energy and Modeling Simulation Advanced Reactor and Light Water Reactor Industry Councils and past chair of the Materials Science and Technology Division within the American Nuclear Society.
Distinguished Alumni
Gerardine Botte (M.E. ‘98, Ph.D. ‘00, chemical engineering)
Botte is a professor and Whitacre Endowed Chair in Sustainable Energy at Texas Tech University. She is also the founding director of the National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center for Advancing Sustainable and Distributed Fertilizer Production. Botte has more than 25 years experience in the development of electrochemical processes as they relate to the intersection of energy, water and food sustainability.
Botte has served in leadership roles for both the International Society of Electrochemistry and the Electrochemical Society. In 2014, she was named a Fellow of the Electrochemical Society for her contributions and innovation in electrochemical processes and engineering. Botte has more than 200 publications, including peer-reviewed journals, book chapters and 61 granted patents.
Distinguished Alumni
Deepal Eliatamby (B.S. ‘88, M.S. ‘89, civil engineering)
Eliatamby is the President of Alliance Consulting Engineers, which has five locations throughout the Carolinas. He has more than 33 years of experience in a variety of engineering projects, including industrial park master planning and development.
A registered professional engineer in seven states, Deepal is past president of the Columbia Chapter of the National Society of Professional Engineers. He has also served on many local, state and national committees of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). Eliatamby is the only South Carolinian to receive the prestigious Edmund Friedman Young Civil Engineer of the Year National Award from the American Society of Engineers in 1999. In 2007, he was elected a Fellow of the ASCE. Last year, he was named one of the Top 50 Most Influential People in the Midlands by SCBiz. He also received the Bethea Volunteer Service Award from the University of South Carolina Alumni Association.