Established by the Graduates of the Last Decade (GOLD) Board in 2013, the RAA recognizes one outstanding alumnus/a each year for professional achievements, continued service to the college or university, and admirable personal characteristics within 10 years of graduation from the college.

2019

Jonathan Goldsmith

Jonathan Goldsmith

(MechEng’07, MEngrMgmt’14) Director of Midstream Business Development ConocoPhillips Distinguished Engineering Alumni Awardee Recent Alumni Award Goldsmith has shown impressive career growth in his nearly 10 years at ConocoPhillips and Phillips 66, where he is director of business development. He has served as an engineering manager and owner’s representative, the director of the optimization program, and engineering manager at two terminals. Since graduating from CU, Goldsmith has stayed connected to the...

2018

Jared Leicich, MechEngr'09

Jared Leidich

(MechEngr'09) Aerodynamic Systems Lead World View Enterprises Recent Alumni Award Jared Leidich, a licensed professional engineer, led the design of the life support pack for a spacesuit that safely carried Google executive Alan Eustace to the stratosphere on three flights. The third flight was the highest altitude a human has ascended to by balloon, the highest and longest freefall of all time and the second time a human has broken...

2017

Jill Seubert

Jill Seubert

(AeroEngr PhD'11) Navigation and Mission Design Engineer NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Recent Alumni Award Began her Jet Propulsion Laboratory career in 2011 as an engineer in the Inner Planets Navigation Group, gaining recognition through her contributions to several Mars missions and the Deep Space Atomic Clock mission. Was named the deputy principal investigator of the DSAC mission in 2016. Part of the team that used the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter’s high-resolution...

2016

Vanessa Aponte

Vanessa Aponte

(AeroEngr PhD ’06) Associate Systems Engineering Manager Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company Recent Alumni Award Serves as chairwoman of the Technology Insertion Board for Military Support Programs at Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, tasked with evaluating new technologies for use in spaceflight. Launched a 10-year career with Lockheed Martin as senior systems engineer for the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle, focused on developing and testing craft for future deep space missions...