Ed Ward, 2025 Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award recipient

Engineering Alumni Awards 
 

2025 Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award recipient

Ed Ward is a seasoned technology executive with more than 38 years of industry experience. He serves on the board of directors for Hayward Holdings Inc., a global leader in pool equipment and automation systems, where he contributes strategic expertise in engineering, innovation, and leadership.

Ward retired from Dell Technologies after an accomplished 24-year career in product development, engineering and executive leadership roles. Most recently, he served as president of the Client Product Group, where he led Dell’s global PC business. Under his leadership, the team launched an extensive portfolio of AI-powered PCs, workstations, gaming systems and innovative software designed to unlock human potential. Before joining Dell, Ward held leadership and engineering positions at NCR Corp., Motorola Inc., and Graphics Communications America Ltd. He began his career at NCR as a microprocessor design engineer, laying the foundation for his expertise in innovative technologies.

A passionate advocate for STEM education and workforce inclusion, Ward is dedicated to supporting underrepresented communities. He serves as a key sponsor of the local chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers and actively advances the professional development of Black business leaders through his membership in the Executive Leadership Council.

Ward earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and computer science from the University of Colorado Boulder and is a graduate of the Harvard Business School, where he completed the Advanced Management Program. Over the past two decades, Ward has also been recognized as the Black Technologist of the Year (2019, Austin Black Business Journal & Community News Magazine), Top Ten Blacks in Technology (2019, Austin Black Business Journal & Community News Magazine), Most Influential Blacks in Technology (2018, Black Enterprise Magazine), 300 Most Powerful Executives in Corporate America (2017, Black Enterprise Magazine), Gene Washington Champion of Champion Award (2016, National Society of Black Engineers), and Black Engineer of the Year: Outstanding Technical Contribution - Industry (2000, Career Communication Group).

Ward lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife, Tina Ward, MD, and maintains an active connection to the University of Colorado Boulder as a member of the executive committee of the Engineering Advisory Council (EAC). His previous board roles include the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, and Austin Habitat for Humanity.

A nominator notes, “While serving as a member of the EAC’s Executive Committee, Ed contributed to critical strategic planning efforts that strengthened the college's programs in education, research, and inclusion. His leadership in guiding new EAC membership through their transition on the council and his advocacy for university partnership opportunities have directly enhanced the college’s ability to achieve its mission.” Another colleague shares that, “Ed's work on the BOLD Advisory Council has been instrumental in advancing diversity and inclusion within the College of Engineering. He has championed resource allocation for initiatives that improve access and retention for underrepresented students. His enduring connection to ���������� Boulder exemplifies his commitment to giving back to the institution that laid the foundation for his illustrious career.”

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Zach Nies, 2025 Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award recipient

Engineering Alumni Awards 
 

2025 Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award recipient

One question has driven Zach Nies’ work for the last 25 years: What enables teams to solve the hardest problems facing humanity while doing the best work of their careers? Nies has explored this question from inside startups, large companies, universities, and non-profits as a founder, C-level executive, investor, instructor, individual contributor, and executive coach.

Currently, Nies is an entrepreneur in residence at the Nature Conservancy and the founder of Lift The Curve, where he helps teams working on planet- and society-scale problems adopt entrepreneurial mindsets and high-performance habits that are proven to improve time to impact, decrease risk, and foster team wellbeing. Before putting his founder hat back on, Nies was a managing director for the Techstars Sustainability Accelerator in partnership with the Nature Conservancy and the Techstars Boulder accelerator. Before Techstars, Nies joined the executive team at Rally Software pre-revenue and, along the journey to a successful IPO, had many roles, including CTO. As a founder of five companies, Nies loves working with entrepreneurs from high-level strategy to the internal management of the ups and downs of the experience. Over the years, the products guided by Nies’ technical and product leadership have accumulated over $1 billion in revenue.

In accounting Nies’ commitment to ���������� Boulder and ���������� Engineering, a nominator said, “Zach served as a member of the advisory board of the Silicon Venture Entrepreneurship Initiative for its entire existence from 2009-16. He also has been a devoted member of the Computer Science Advisory Board for over 10 years and is a great advisor and resource regarding student preparation as well as entrepreneurship. Finally and very importantly, Zach co-founded and for five years co-taught the Department of Computer Science’s entrepreneurial capstone course, where students work in teams for an entire academic year to learn about the startup process by going through the initial stages of forming a company of their design; some of these companies have gone on to commercial success.” Additionally, “Zach played an integral role in the early years of the ���������� New Venture Challenge (NVC), which has now become a hallmark of ���������� Boulder’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Zach’s contributions included providing strategic advice to the competition organizers and offering educational workshops that empowered numerous participants. Further, as a mentor to some NVC teams, Zach guided emerging entrepreneurs, helping them refine their ideas and navigate the complexities of launching a business.”

Nies graduated with distinction from ���������� Boulder with a computer science degree and extensive studies in psychology. When he’s not working, you can find Nies spending time with his family or looking through a camera.

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Donald R. Clark, 2025 Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award recipient

Engineering Alumni Awards 
 

2025 Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award recipient

After graduating from ���������� Boulder with his BS degree in civil engineering in 1972, Clark began an over 52-year career as a consulting engineer for Fox and Associates in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. While at Fox, he started as a staff engineer, later became a division manager, and ultimately served as vice president of that company. During this time, he obtained his MS degree in civil engineering, graduating with that degree in 1979 with an emphasis in geotechnical engineering and a certificate in management.

In late 1989, Clark accepted the position of principal and department manager with Western Technologies Inc. in Phoenix. In September 1992, he joined his current firm, Terracon Consultants Inc. Clark serves as a senior principal and senior consultant in Terracon’s Phoenix office. During his tenure with Terracon, he established Terracon’s Denver (1992) and Phoenix (1995) offices and served as office manager at both locations.

Clark’s experience includes providing consulting geotechnical engineering services on a variety of projects throughout the United States, including geotechnical engineering assessments for buildings, roads, streets, highways, bridges, railroads, pipelines, retention ponds, solar projects, transmission lines, power plants, MSE retaining walls and reinforced soil slopes (RSS). He has provided numerous designs for mechanically stabilized earth retaining walls, reinforced earth slopes, soil nail retaining walls and various types of shoring systems. His professional experience includes geotechnical evaluations of soil conditions for infrastructure improvements, commercial and industrial foundation and pavement construction, power generation and distribution facilities, pavements, and earthen dams. He is a Registered Professional Engineer in 15 states.

Clark is a life member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, an organization he joined while attending ���������� Boulder. He was nominated and is a member of Chi Epsilon (the national honorary fraternity for civil engineering) and Tau Beta Pi. He is also a member of Forever Gold and the ���������� Alumni Association. His association with ���������� also includes teaching intermediate soil mechanics at the ���������� Denver Center (1988-89), and financial support of the Clark Conference Room in the ���������� Boulder Engineering Center. Clark and his wife, Sharan, have been married for 52 years and together established the Clark Endowed Faculty Fellowship in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering.

As one colleague notes in Clark’s nomination for this award, “His family’s history with ���������� Boulder, and Mr. Clark’s personal commitment to sharing his time, talents, and treasures with ���������� Boulder, is a testament to his servant leadership mindset and his pride for the University of Colorado Boulder and the College of Engineering and Applied Science. Our industry and our engineers are better because of Mr. Clark and all his contributions.”

One of Clark’s greatest enjoyments during his career has included mentoring younger engineers, helping with training for the future. Being in the “people helping people” profession of civil engineering, he hopes that his work on various projects has in some way improved life for humankind.

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Greg Bunker, 2025 Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award Recipient

Engineering Alumni Awards 
 

2025 Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award recipient

Greg Bunker is the senior global business director for Functional Polymers & High-Pressure Envelope, Packaging & Specialty Plastics. He leads the development and execution of the earnings growth strategy for Functional Polymers and the High-Pressure Envelope. This portfolio represents a broad range of performance products targeted at a variety of markets including infrastructure; power and telecommunications; and mobility, as well as flexible and medical packaging applications.

During his career at Dow, Bunker has worked in a variety of roles in the Dow Plastics businesses, including process automation, manufacturing, TS&D (technical service and development) and marketing, as well as business leadership across polyethylene, specialty plastics, and packaging adhesives. His most recent role was global business director for LDPE, Wire and Cable, and global asset director for High Pressure Copolymers (heritage DuPont Ethylene Copolymers).

Bunker came to Dow after graduating from the University of Colorado Boulder in 1995 with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering. He has also completed the Transition to General Management Program at INSEAD (2013).

He is holder of six U.S. patents, Six Sigma Black Belt certified, global co-leader of the Dow Inc. Veterans Network (VetNet), Michigan Home State Committee Chair for DowPAC, board chairman of the Greater Midland Tennis Center operating board, and is chair of the University of Colorado Boulder’s Materials Science and Engineering Program External Advisory Board.

As one of Bunker’s nominators for this award notes, “For several years, Greg has participated by giving course lectures in our undergraduate core (bio)kinetics classes that are taught to juniors. Despite his busy schedule, Greg makes time to talk with the students in these classes.” Additionally, he volunteered “to be on the inaugural advisory board for the Materials Science and Engineering Program. This board provides independent input to the program, mentors students, aids with outreach, and facilitates placement of graduates. Greg was selected to be the chair of this board, which I believe demonstrates his willingness to be highly engaged and the respect that he has from the other members of the board.” 

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Engineering Alumni Awards

2024 Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award recipient

Sanjeev G. Redkar (PhDChemEngr'94) is the president, executive director and co-founder of Apollomics Inc., an oncology-focused company developing therapeutics for difficult-to-treat cancers harnessing the immune system and targeting specific molecular pathways. Redkar has 30 years of scientific, managerial and executive experience in hematology and oncology drug discovery and development, especially for small-molecule drugs. Redkar co-founded Apollomics, which was recently listed on Nasdaq (APLM), and has raised over $250 million in venture and private equity funding from leading investors. Apollomics’ late-stage programs include vebreltinib, which is being developed in non-small cell lung cancer and glioblastoma multiforme, and uproleselan, an E-Selectin antagonist that has the potential to be used adjunctively with standard chemotherapy to treat acute myeloid leukemia.

In his previous role, Redkar was senior vice president of product development at Astex Pharmaceuticals, an Otsuka company. He led the development of several oncology therapeutics through IND and global launch, including Dacogen®, Nipent™, Inqovi® and Mitozytrex™. Additionally, Redkar worked on multiple drugs through their FIH submission and clinical trials that led to the buyout of Astex to Otsuka for $886 million. He has over 25 peer-reviewed publications and 200 patents. Redkar earned his PhD from University of Colorado Boulder, MBA from St. Mary’s College of California, and bachelor’s from Indian Institute of Technology Bombay. Redkar is an adjunct faculty and a board member at the University of the Pacific School of Pharmacy in Stockton, California; advisory board member and entrepreneur in residence at the Jie Du Center for Entrepreneurship; and teaches Design Thinking for Biotech Entrepreneurs at the Jie Du Center.

Redkar has shown a strong commitment to giving back to his community and teaching the next generation of leaders and entrepreneurs, promoting innovation along the way. As a university instructor, he goes above and beyond by facilitating networking opportunities for students and bridging the gap between scientific expertise and entrepreneurial understanding. Redkar also has stayed engaged with the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at ���������� Boulder, including serving on the department’s external advisory board for four years. Over the years, Redkar has been a part of critical conversations to improve the biological engineering curriculum for undergraduate students, served as a guest lecturer and made connections between his vast network in the pharmaceutical industry and the department to facilitate student internship opportunities. Redkar continues to be a loyal and engaged alumnus of chemical and biological engineering and the college as whole, and his accomplishments as a scientist, manager and entrepreneur in pharmaceuticals has and will continue to leave major impacts in the industry.

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Engineering Alumni Awards

2024 Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award recipient

Diana Manning (MechEngr'84) received her degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Colorado Boulder in 1984 and has used that knowledge to obtain over 35 years of experience working primarily in the aerospace industry. Her career spans several areas such as design, analysis and systems integration in addition to leadership roles. Most of those 35 years, Manning worked at The Boeing Company, working primarily with jet engines and other propulsion systems. While at Boeing, she worked on all of the Seattle-based commercial models, contributing to Boeing’s success in the creation and operation of 747, 757, 767, 777 and 787 aircraft, and finishing as the chief propulsion engineer for 787 before retiring in 2017. Manning also spent time as a consultant at Base 2 Solutions/Belcan, an engineering services firm. She used her experiences to ensure her clients successfully completed various engineering projects, ranging from autonomous cars and large airplane freighters to rocket engines. 

During those 35 years in industry, Manning witnessed many changes in the technical world. Not only has technology changed and expanded, but the makeup of the workforce has shifted as well. Beyond Manning’s strong technical knowledge, she also understands the complexity of working with people. Her servant leadership style contributed immensely to her success in delivering positive results at Boeing. This success was amplified by her focus on employee development and mentorship, particularly in support of those she worked with in professional and personal matters.

In June 2022, Manning retired from Belcan. She keeps busy on various projects, including volunteering in several organizations (either as a board member or advisor) and as a mentor. She volunteered as a tutor in her local school district and coached underprivileged youth on problem-solving skills, helping to prepare them for college. Manning’s impact on developing future generations of engineers is clear through her community and professional activities, but she has also had an important impact on mechanical engineering students and the department at ���������� Boulder. As one of only a few women members of the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering’s advisory board, Manning has maintained her position as a vocal advocate for underserved and underrepresented members of the department. She consistently advocates for women and underrepresented minority faculty, staff, and students during meetings and with her actions. Notably, Manning was one of the contributing voices for the development of a course that is now required for professional master’s students in the department. She has generously given her time and expertise to this course, participating as a guest speaker every semester that it’s been taught. One of the most notable points of feedback received from a student after having her in a class session was, “This was one of the rare times where I actually did not want class to end.” These are just a few examples of the impactful work Manning has contributed to the department, the college and her community. She firmly believes engineering is the gateway to a better future, both for those working within it and society as a whole. Manning  is passionate about sharing her many years of experience, both in engineering and management, with those just beginning their journeys.

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Engineering Alumni Awards

2024 Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award recipient

Michael D. Fricklas (ElEngr'81) became chief legal officer and secretary of Advance in April 2018. From 1993 to 2017, he was one of the top executives at Viacom, for 19 years as executive vice president, general counsel and secretary, reporting to the CEO. Fricklas received a BS in electrical engineering from the University of Colorado’s College of Engineering and Applied Science in 1981 and a JD, magna cum laude, from Boston University School of Law in 1984. Fricklas’s practice started in Silicon Valley, representing technology companies in a variety of financing transactions and in technology licensing.

Since then, his career has focused on the intersection of copyright and technology, corporate governance, mergers & acquisitions, and large law department management. Fricklas is a member of the American Bar Association’s Task Force on Artificial Intelligence and the Law. He is a member of the board of trustees of Boston University; secretary and a member of the board of Jazz at Lincoln Center; a member of the board of directors of Equal Justice Works; and co-chair of the United Jewish Appeal entertainment and media group. He is past president of the Association of General Counsel.

Fricklas has shown a deep commitment to serving students and institutions of higher learning, believing deeply in the transformative impact that education can have on people’s lives. With his deep roots in technology and law, Fricklas has made impactful philanthropic contributions to ���������� Boulder, specifically to Colorado Law, the Flatirons Institute and the ATLAS Institute. Leveraging his expertise and experience, he has supported initiatives that blend legal education with technological innovation, fostering an environment where students can thrive at the intersection of these fields. His involvement exemplifies a commitment to nurturing future leaders and innovators through providing tangible career development opportunities like internships, mentorship and job placement support. At his other alma mater, Boston University School of Law, his achievements and impacts on the profession and the school were featured in a recent book celebrating BU Law’s 150th anniversary, honoring 150 people, places and precedents that have shaped our society.

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Engineering Alumni Awards

2024 Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award recipient

In 2014, Daryl Bahls (AeroEngr'77) retired from The Boeing Company as a senior space systems engineer and associate technical fellow. He spent his 37-year career with Boeing and Martin Marietta Denver Aerospace as a space system mission analyst and system engineer. During his career, Bahls was fortunate to make contributions to programs ranging from earth resources and communication satellite systems, to launch vehicle development and interplanetary exploration, culminating with critical influences on many national security space programs. These contributions ranged from space flight trajectory optimization, space system architecture and constellation design to space system mission operations. In retirement, his role as the director of analytics for the Merriman Financial Education Foundation allows him to continue to apply his analytical skills by providing individual investors with evidence-based data to use in managing their investment portfolios. 

Bahls was born in 1951 in Chicago and grew up in Iowa and Aurora, Colorado, during the heyday of the early “space race" that showed the way to his life’s work. In 1970, he enrolled at ���������� Boulder, majoring in aerospace engineering sciences. In 1981, he met his wife, Randy, in Boulder, and they married in Seattle in 1987. Bahls’ uncle, Carl R. Bahls, is also a ���������� Boulder alumnus — he attended ���������� on the GI Bill after World War II, graduating in 1948.

From mentoring junior staff members at Boeing to donating books from his personal astrodynamics library at the grand opening of the new Aerospace Engineering Sciences Building at ���������� Boulder, Bahls has been deeply involved in his communities, sharing his knowledge and resources along the way. His contributions in support of U.S. government defense programs, while often confidential, reflect his dedicated service to the nation. As one of Bahls’ former colleagues notes, “I have seen him explain complex design issues to presidential appointees and senior corporate executives with the same patience and professionalism he would to a junior engineer or review team. To me that exemplifies the integrity of a systems engineer — staying true to the discipline and rigor of the design, no matter where that leads.”

Starting in 2015, Bahls began work with the Ann and H.J. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences to craft an endowment to fund students working in space mission analysis and design. After collaborating with many, many people at the university, the agreement was completed and signed in 2017. Bahls frequently attends department functions, meets with faculty and students, and offers his insights into industry needs and ways to improve undergraduate and graduate curricula. In 2022, Smead Aerospace named a conference room in the new building on East Campus after him.

Prior to the endowment coming into full effect, a travel funding agreement was also implemented for students to use to present their work in space mission analysis and design to broader national and international peer audiences. This opportunity serves to raise the visibility of not only the individual student’s work, but also of Smead Aerospace and the Colorado Center for Astrodynamics Research (CCAR). These resources have made it possible for CCAR students to attend top conferences in their field, to share their research, and to get to know the broader research and industry community. Having had the opportunity to personally see how the travel fund has been used and how it impacted students, Bahls is updating the endowment language to take advantage of these lessons learned and to provide better utilization of endowment resources to meet its goals.

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Kate Bergeron (MMechEngr’95) has been with Apple Inc. for more than two decades and currently serves as a vice president of hardware engineering. Early in her career, she was part of the team that designed hardware such as the 2003 17-inch PowerBook and the original unibody MacBook Pros, which revolutionized notebook design by integrating components and features into a machined aluminum chassis. Since those initial accomplishments, Bergeron has moved into progressively larger leadership roles at Apple. She leads the product design teams responsible for Mac, iPad, audio, soft goods and packaging. In that capacity, she has led the development of multiple versions of AirPods and AirPods Pro, groundbreaking products that have been tremendously successful. Her outstanding contributions and leadership in innovative engineering design earned her a place in the National Academy of Engineering in 2022 — one of the highest professional distinctions awarded to an engineer.

In addition to being a key player in the development of iconic products that have transformed Apple into a household name, Bergeron’s commitment to opening doors for underrepresented minorities, along with spearheading Apple’s initiative to adopt more environmentally sustainable practices, has helped change the culture of Apple for the better. She is part of an effort to create platforms for women and underrepresented minorities in engineering to showcase their technical contributions. Her leadership in this space has enabled Apple to make huge strides in diversifying their workforce. Her leadership also proved instrumental in driving a dramatic reduction in the use of plastic in product packaging, which has been a major contribution to Apple’s wider initiative of eliminating all plastic in packaging by 2025.

Bergeron’s exemplary career in engineering leadership at Apple is equaled only by her passion for giving back to the communities that helped her achieve her professional success, as well as serving as a role model for women and other underrepresented minorities in STEM. Since graduating from ���������� Boulder, Kate has been steadfast in her support for the engineering community.

During her time at ���������� Boulder, Bergeron was a founding member of the women’s ultimate frisbee team, creating a new opportunity for students with her shared interests. Now in an influential role in her professional career, she has turned her efforts toward other types of new opportunities for students. She has spearheaded efforts to bring Apple recruiting and engagement to ���������� Engineering. She has been an active participant in the activities of the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering, helping to connect students with industry professionals and serving on the Mechanical Engineering Strategic Advisory Board (MESAB).

Bergeron philanthropically supports students through a scholarship for women engineering students that she and her husband personally sponsor. She has also advocated for Apple to support ���������� Engineering students through the BOLD Center and student scholarships.

In addition to earning her MS in mechanical engineering from ���������� Boulder in 1995, Bergeron attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, earning her BS in mechanical engineering in 1993 and MBA in 2013. Bergeron and her husband, Mike, will soon be the proud parents of a Forever Buff — their child, Maeryn, will be joining the class of 2027.

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In 2020, Herb Vogel (MechEngr’82) was appointed president and chief executive officer of SM Energy, a public S&P 600 company headquartered in Denver with oil and gas production operations primarily in Texas. Vogel has more than 38 years of experience in the energy business. He started his career with ARCO Alaska and then joined BP upon their acquisition of ARCO in 2000, serving in roles of increasing responsibility in engineering, exploration, asset development, business unit leadership, marketing and trading. These roles involved moves to Anchorage, Alaska; Midland, Texas; Jakarta, Indonesia; London; Madrid; and Houston before he retired from BP in 2012 and joined SM Energy. A career highlight was the discovery of the Vorwata gas field in Papua, Indonesia, in 1996 and the subsequent sanction of the Tangguh LNG project in 2005.

Vogel was raised in Los Alamos, New Mexico, and as an avid skier and soccer player, decided to attend ���������� Boulder. He met his wife, Karen, in 1980 when both were residents of Libby Hall. They married in 1987 and are the proud parents of Steven (MechEngr’12) and Austin. Karen’s parents also graduated from ���������� Boulder in the 1950s.

Vogel was a founding member of the Mechanical Engineering Strategic Advisory Board (MESAB) in 2012. Since then, he has provided consistently high-quality advice to the department leadership. In 2016, Vogel also joined the College of Engineering Advisory Council, providing the same valuable insight and advice to the college that he has provided to mechanical engineering over the years.

Vogel’s gift of time to the department and college is matched by gifts of financial support. For many years, the Vogels have been involved in charitable activities. They established three faculty fellowships and two graduate student fellowships, which provide a means of stability and salary support that is critical to retention at ����������, as well as to provide funding for faculty and students to pursue their research and educational goals.

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