Six electrical and computer engineers with ties to Missouri University of Science and Technology were inducted into the Missouri S&T Academy of Electrical and Computer Engineering during the academy’s induction ceremony, which was held at the Comfort Suites Conference Center in Rolla, Missouri, on April 19.

The academy is an advisory group to the Missouri S&T electrical and computer engineering department. Founded in 1980, the academy is composed of alumni and other electrical and computer engineers who have made outstanding contributions to their profession.

New members were recognized for their service and leadership in the field. They are listed below:

Harry J. Auman of Chesterfield, Missouri, director of electrical engineering for Casco Corp., earned a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from Missouri S&T in 1970. Auman began his career as a process engineer for GTA Automatic Engineer in 1970. In 1972, he moved to William Tao Associates as a senior electrical engineer, and then moved to McMichael Auman Consulting Engineers, where he worked until 1989. That year he joined Colton, McMichael, Lester, Auman, Visnofski, where he served as principal, member of the board of directors and director of engineering until 1993, when he joined Heideman and Associates as associate and project manager. In 2006, he took his current position. Auman is a licensed electrical professional engineer in 35 states. He is a member of the St. Louis Electrical Board of Trade and a past member of IES, AIAS and IEE.

Arthur E. Curle of Belleville, Illinois, former manager and director of distribution operating for Ameren Illinois, earned a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from Missouri S&T in 1975. He also holds an MBA from Washington University in St. Louis. Curle began his career as an engineer with Gulf States Utilities, then joined Union Electric in 1977 as an engineer in the Berkeley District. He served as an engineer for the Ellisville District and in underground construction until 1985, when he held supervising engineer positions in the Geraldine District and then the Mackenzie District. In 1988, he was named manager of the Mackenzie and Ray districts and then held positions of increasing responsibility in Regional East Operations, Regional West Operations, Ameren Fleet Services, Metro East Division, Energy Delivery Strategic Development, Ameren CLICO and Ameren IP before being named manager and director of distribution Operating for Ameren Illinois, a position he held until 2013. Curle received the Ameren President’s Pinnacle Award in 2012. He is a member of IEEE.

Matt Doell of Eureka, Missouri, preconstruction director at Alberici Constructors, earned a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from Missouri S&T in 1985. He also holds an MBA from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Doell joined the U.S. Civil Service as a systems engineer for Air Force Design and Engineering in 1985, then moved to HTI as a lead engineer. Prior to taking his current position in 2017, he served as department manager at IITC, a satellite systems engineer for Harris Corp. and vice president of Sachs Electric Co. Doell has served as president of the Rockwood School District board of education and president and governor of the St. Louis Chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association. He is a licensed professional engineer in Missouri and Kansas and a registered communications distribution designer with BICSI. He authored a textbook titled “Voice-Data-Video Applications and Installations” in 2017, and he is a merit badge counselor for the St. Louis Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

Timothy R. Hagan of Las Vegas, lead measurements engineer for JT3 LLC, earned a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from Missouri S&T in 1983. He also holds a master of science degree in electrical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Hagan began his career as an engineer at General Dynamics in its Fort Worth division. He then served as senior engineer for Northrup, an integration and test engineer for INTELSAT and an engineering specialist for EG&G Technical Services before taking his current position in 2002. Hagan is a member of the Missouri S&T Order of the Golden Shillelagh, treasurer of the Libertarian National Committee and treasurer of the Libertarian Party of Nevada and served as regional alternate for the Libertarian National Committee from 2000-06.

Ronald G. Kochanowicz of Smithville, Missouri, owner and engineer for Bridge Embedded Systems Inc. and BridgeCom Systems Inc., earned a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from Missouri S&T in 1994. He began his career as a project engineer for St. Louis Music Electronics, then served as a software design engineer for Maxon America Inc. and a project engineer for Securicor Wireless until 2001. In 2001, he formed BridgeCon Systems, which has grown annually. Kochanowicz has designed and produced a UHF and VHF FM repeater labeled Maxon America Inc., a repeater controller for LTR Trunked Radio Systems, a multisite communications system called TL-NET, a line of FM repeaters for use in the commercial and amateur region of the VHF and UHF MHz area of the spectrum and an FM repeater for the 220 MHz amateur radio. He also created a line of UHF and VHF FM repeaters called the ComLink CS-540.

Clay Melugin of San Diego, CEO and co-founder of Water Pigeon, earned a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from Missouri S&T in 1984. He also holds a master of science degree in engineering management from Southern Methodist University and an MBA from San Diego State University. Melugin began his career as an electrical engineer for Motorola Corp., then held positions of increasing responsibility at Emerson Electronics, General Dynamics, Sundstrand Aerospace, Proxima Corp., Sony Wireless, ConsultantLocator.com, SupplyPro, Tricon RFID, Infineon Technologies and Intel Corp. before co-founding Water Pigeon in 2015. Melugin founded a chapter of Toastmasters International at Motorola. In 1998, he earned the Emerson Outstanding Contribution Award and he has received volunteer awards for his work with the Del Mar Unified School District as a math and science coach and for his work with San Diego County Science Field Day. As a student, he was a Chevron Scholar, a Missouri Society of Professional Engineers Scholar and a St. Louis Electrical Board Scholar. Former president of S&T’s chapter of Eta Kappa Nu, he was a member of Tau Beta Pi and was the 1984 MSPE Electrical Engineering Student of the Year.