College of Engineering Welcomes Alumni Back for 2026 Awards Banquet

Alumni, faculty and guests gathered April 18 for the 2026 Alumni Awards Banquet, where the college inducted two new Hall of Fame members and honored nine Distinguished Alumni and 10 Early Career Alumni award recipients. 

The evening included dinner and an awards ceremony led by Dean Kim Needy and co-hosts Cyndie Fredrick, chair of the Dean's Advisory Council, and Kaylee Kamalanathan, chair of the Early Career Advisory Council. 

"It's always special to welcome our alumni back to the College of Engineering, celebrate what they've accomplished and see them reconnect with one another," Needy said.  

"This event is a reminder of the important work that we do educating future generations of engineers who will profoundly impact society."

Hall of Fame Inductees

The college inducted two new members into its Hall of Fame: W. M. "Mac" Hogan, chairman of Poloplaz, Inc., who earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering in 1965, and John R. Marshall, an executive and advisor in the utility and energy sectors who earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering in 1976. 

Hogan is an entrepreneur and engineer whose career spans from work on NASA's Gemini and Apollo programs to building multiple market-defining companies. After earning his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Arkansas in 1965, he advanced laser surveying technology, held six patents and founded Poloplaz, Inc. and Air Tech Coatings, Inc. He was named a Distinguished Alumnus of the college in 2011. 

Under Hogan's leadership, Poloplaz became the finish of choice for NBA courts, major college basketball floors and Olympic venues in the United States and China. He is also a member of the college's Dean's Advisory Council and served as president of the Arkansas Academy of Mechanical Engineers. 

Marshall built a 50-year career in the utility and energy sectors, combining technological leadership with deep operational expertise. A 1973 veteran of the United States Air Force, he earned his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Arkansas in 1976 and later completed the Harvard Advanced Management Program. He now shares that experience through advisory work focused on critical infrastructure and nonprofit service. 

Marshall received the Distinguished Alumni Award for Electrical Engineering in 2018. He is also an avid supporter of the University of Arkansas College of Engineering Dean's Vision 2035 initiative and serves as an emeritus member of the Dean's Advisory Council.

Distinguished Alumni

From left: Peter James Opper, Teuta Williams, Greg Nesmith, Charles L. King, Kenneth Cason, David C. Johnston Jr., Jonathan Schisler, Kati Migliaccio and Edward T. Amass.

Nine graduates were honored with Distinguished Alumni awards: 

Only University of Arkansas degrees are listed below. 

• Edward T. Amass — master's degree in operations management, 2013 

• Kenneth Cason — bachelor's degree in computer science, 2010 

• David C. Johnston Jr. — bachelor's degree in civil engineering, 1973 

• Charles L. King — bachelor's degree in industrial engineering, 1988; master's degree in industrial engineering, 1990 

• Kati Migliaccio — Ph.D. in biological and agricultural engineering, 2005 

• Greg Nesmith — bachelor's degree in chemical engineering, 1990 

• Peter James Opper — bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, 1989 

• Jonathan Schisler — bachelor's degree in computer engineering, 2004; master's degree in computer engineering, 2005 

• Teuta Williams — bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, 2002; master's degree in electrical engineering, 2004 

Early Career Alumni

From left: Jon C. Hammer, Tyler Beneke Kinalski, Andrew T. Binder, Connie M. Walden, Tasha Repella, Ali Karr, Anthony L. Ming, Kelly C. Simpson, Ben N. Onukwube and Alexander Lopez.

Ten graduates received Early Career Alumni awards: 

Only University of Arkansas degrees are listed below. 

• Tyler Beneke Kinalski — bachelor's degree in industrial engineering, 2016 

• Andrew T. Binder — bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, 2013 

• Jon C. Hammer — bachelor's degree in computer science, 2012; master's degree in computer science, 2016; Ph.D. in computer science, 2018 

• Ali Karr — bachelor's degree in biological engineering, 2018 

• Alexander Lopez — bachelor's degree in chemical engineering, 2011; Ph.D. in chemical engineering, 2015 

• Anthony L. Ming — bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, 2022 

• Ben N. Onukwube — bachelor's degree in computer engineering, 2011 

• Tasha Repella — bachelor's degree in biomedical engineering, 2019 

• Kelly C. Simpson — master's degree in operations management, 2023 

• Connie M. Walden — bachelor's degree in civil engineering, 2012; master's degree in electrical engineering, 2015; Ph.D. in environmental engineering, 2017 

Visit the College of Engineering alumni webpage to learn more about the college's alumni and award honorees. 

About the College of Engineering:  The University of Arkansas College of Engineering is the state's largest engineering school, offering graduate and undergraduate degrees, online studies and interdisciplinary programs. It enrolls more than 4,700 students and employs more than 150 faculty and researchers along with nearly 200 staff members. Its research enterprise generated $47 million in new research awards in Fiscal Year 2025. The college's strategic plan, Vision 2035, seeks to build the premier STEM workforce in accordance with three key objectives: Initiating lifelong student success, generating transformational and relevant knowledge, and becoming the destination of choice among educators, students, staff, industry, alumni and the community. As part of this, the college is increasing graduates and research productivity to expand its footprint as an entrepreneurial engineering platform serving Arkansas and the world. The college embraces its pivotal role in driving economic growth, fueling innovation and educating the next generation of engineers, computer scientists and data scientists to address current and future societal challenges.