Five professionals with ties to Missouri University of Science and Technology were inducted into the Academy of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineers during an induction ceremony, held Oct. 3.

The academy recognizes outstanding alumni for their professional achievement and success. It also provides support and experience to help the S&T mechanical and aerospace engineering department reach its collective mission and values. 

New academy members are:

Bret Berthold of Kirkwood, Missouri, executive director and CEO of the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD), earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Missouri S&T in 1990. He also holds an MBA from Webster University. A licensed professional engineer in Missouri, Berthold has been with MSD since 2009, serving in various roles in the operations department before assuming his current role in 2024. Previously he helped lead manufacturing operations at Spectrum Brands, and served in the design group of Barry-Wehmiller Co. A native of Kirkwood, Missouri, Berthold participates with many organizations that support the wastewater and stormwater industry.

Keith Esarey of Chesterfield, Missouri, president and CEO of McClure Engineering Associates, earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Missouri S&T in 1994. After graduate studies in engineering management, he began work as a project engineer at Monsanto/Solutia and soon transitioned to the role of project engineer at St. Louis-based McClure Engineering, a consulting firm that specializes in mechanical, electrical and plumbing system design and operations for buildings and campus facilities. His work has concentrated on projects that involve advanced environmental control for specialized facilities where environmental control is a critical component. Esarey was named a client principal in 2000 and president in 2018.

Lea Lenzer of St. Louis, an associate technical fellow and structural analysis engineer for Boeing Defense, Space and Security, earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from Missouri S&T in 2005 and 2007, respectively. After graduation, Lenzer began her 20-plus-year career at the Boeing Co., where she specializes in finite element analysis, airframe structural testing and bird strike. She has supported several defense programs, including C-17, F/A-18, T-7A and proprietary programs. She is an active volunteer at local K-12 schools, where she promotes girls’ interest in STEM. She is also an advisor for her sorority, Chi Omega, at Missouri S&T.

Dr. Ashok Midha, who lived in Rolla, Missouri, former chair and professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, was inducted posthumously as an in memoriam member. He held a bachelor’s degree from Regional Institute of Technology Jamshedpur and master’s and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Minnesota, all in mechanical engineering. Before his academic career, he worked as a mechanical engineer at FluiDyne Engineering in Minneapolis. Midha served on the faculties of Michigan Technological University, The Pennsylvania State University and Purdue University before joining Missouri S&T in 1997. In 2012, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers named a conference symposium after him in recognition of his contributions to the research community. Known as the “father of compliant mechanisms,” Midha was a champion of design education and led the $30 million renovation and expansion of S&T’s Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Building, now known as Toomey Hall, as well as the establishment of the Product Innovation and Creativity Center, which he directed. A prolific scholar, Midha authored nearly 140 journal articles, conference papers and book chapters. His work advanced mechanical design, kinematics and dynamics of mechanisms, compliant mechanism design, and vibration analysis. He received numerous best paper, design, and research awards, including the ASME Design Engineering Division Mechanisms Committee Award. He was named a Fellow of ASME in 2002 and served as associate editor for the Journal of Mechanical Design and feature editor for Mechanism and Machine Theory.

Stanford Oliver of Columbia, Maryland, president and CEO of DigiFlight Inc. and Camelot Secure, earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Missouri S&T in 1981. He also holds an MBA from Boston University. DigiFlight is a global technology firm that provides aerospace, space, enterprise IT, foreign military sales, and cybersecurity support to the intelligence community, Department of Defense, the Federal Reserve Board, NASA and commercial clients. Camelot Secure, a subsidiary of DigiFlight, provides integrated cybersecurity solutions to protect the 16 critical infrastructure sectors. Oliver has over 40 years of military, intelligence, and cybersecurity experience. He also held a variety of command and staff positions during his 20 years of military service as an Army aviator and Blackhawk helicopter pilot. Oliver is active in the Association of the United States Army, the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association, and Advancing Minorities in Engineering. He serves on the DC Youth Orchestra Board of Directors, the Scholarship Foundation Board of the Army Aviation Association of America, and the Engineering Executive Council of Morgan State University’s Mitchell School of Engineering.