Spring 2024 Academic Associates
Abrahm Coury
Abrahm Coury is an AI Engineer with nearly 5 years of experience researching and developing technology for the medical and aerospace industries. He currently works in the Applied and Advanced Technology division of Honeywell Aerospace. Abrahm has a B.S. in Computer Science and a M.Eng. in Engineering Management from Arizona State University. He has worked for the University Technology Office, the Luminosity Lab, and Mayo Clinic. He has also conducted research at various labs across ASU and the Phoenix Biomedical Campus. Abrahm’s interests are at the intersection of technology, anything ranging from app development to autonomous systems, and humans. As tech continues to advance, he aspires to make it even more accessible and beneficial for people to use. Outside of work Abrahm enjoys volunteering, golfing, and is currently pursuing his pilot’s license.
Adriane Inocencio
Adriane is a Software Engineer at Intel with 3 years experience in web development, where he currently develops software for strategic planners managing the fab. He has previously worked in the trucking industry where he created software to assist brokers booking loads for carriers. On the side, he personally contracts his skills and develops websites for clients such as research landing pages or personal websites. He has a BSE in Computer Systems Engineering from ASU and has been involved in EPICS during all 4 years of his undergrad where he worked on Bridge2Africa. In his free time he enjoys playing/watching basketball, trying new food, sim racing, and reading.
Amanda Minutello
Amanda is a Traffic Engineer at AECOM. She has four years of experience in the transportation industry and has worked on various planning, scoping, preliminary design, and final design projects across Arizona, Texas and Colorado. Amanda has been involved in the EPICS Program since Fall 2016 as a student at ASU, to a Undergraduate Teaching Assistant (UGTA) and a Program Assistant. She holds her BSE in Civil Engineering and a MS in Civil Engineering from Arizona State University. In her free time, she enjoys going to CrossFit classes, cooking and baking new recipes, and growing her tutoring business.
Armando Licon
Armando Licon is a Product Development Engineer for Hunter Douglas Window Blinds. Previously he worked in the automotive industry as a test engineer for Volkswagen Automotive Group. He received his Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering from ASU, and was captain of the SAE Aero team. In his free time Armando likes swimming, backpacking, and smoking meat.
Ben Lewis
Ben is a product developer, fabricator, and entrepreneur. He has experience sourcing parts for small run production, local fabrication, and rapid prototyping. It’s more likely you’ll need his help with team dynamics and soft skills such as resume and cover letter prep, but Ben is also a wiz at CAD to CAM, vector based design (used for CNC routing and laser cutting), idea generation, human centered design, and design thinking. Ben is also here to talk through work burnout, surviving late stage capitalism, and the benefits of downsizing your life.
Once again, Ben is in the middle of reinventing his career.
Carmen Alderton
Carmen Alderton is an Assistant Project Manager at Skanska, Academic Associate, and EPICS Alumnus. She has experience in project management including fast track scheduling, budgeting, estimating, material procurement, risk management, and subcontractor coordination. Carmen specializes in the Logistics & Distribution and Mission Control construction sectors, and is currently building a 250,000 square-foot, 42 megawatt data center in Goodyear, AZ. During her time at ASU, she served as President of both Advancing Women in Construction (AWIC) and Chi Epsilon, the Civil Engineering Honor Society. Carmen graduated with a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies with Concentrations in Construction Management and Business from ASU. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, wine tasting, and cooking.
Dustin Taylor
Dustin Taylor is an academic associate for the Spring 2024 semester of EPICS.
Fred von Graf
Fred von Graf is an academic associate for the Spring 2024 semester of EPICS.
Gabe Gerbic
Gabe is an Adjunct Professor in Exercise Physiology, working between campuses at Mesa Community College and Glendale Community College. Specializing in Sport Performance/Nutrition, Gabe is also a Strength and Conditioning Specialist. He has a strong background in Anatomy and Physiology, as well as Biomechanics. He also specializes in working with adaptive fitness populations, injury prevention and rehabilitation. He enjoys all types of food, fitness, gardening, reading, ASU athletics and new adventures.
Gabriell Fernandez
Gabby Fernandez is a Process Engineer at Microchip Technology Inc. in Tempe, AZ. She recently graduated from ASU in May of 2023 with a B.S.E. in Electrical Engineering. She participated in the EPICS program as an undergraduate student at ASU and was an active member of SWE. Since graduation she has participated in several on campus events and career fairs in Tempe and is open to giving advice to any job-seeking students. Her technical area of focus is semiconductor manufacturing/wafer processing. In her free time she enjoys traveling, playing ping pong, and pool.
Joshua Loughman
Joshua Loughman is the Director of Modeling and Technology at the climate policy think tank, Climate Interactive. This experience builds on his previous roles as a corporate strategist and futurist for Salt River Project (SRP) and on his 16 years of professional experience. Ten of those years were spent in the aerospace and defense sector as a systems engineer and project manager. Six of those years he directed the EPICS program at ASU. He has undergraduate and graduate degrees in engineering from ASU and a graduate certificate in system dynamics modeling from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. He is currently pursuing a PhD in the Human and Social Dimensions of Science and Technology where he is studying how energy organizations imagine the future using modeling and scenario analysis techniques.
He is an Affiliate Global Futures Scholar at the Global Futures Laboratory, an Expert on the Future of Energy at the World Economic Forum, a former Resilience Fellow at the Knowledge Exchange for Resilience at ASU, a former Socrates Fellow at the Aspen Institute, on the board of directors for the local non-profit Stardust Building Supplies, and is currently in Class 2 of the Valley Leadership Catalyze program. He is an alumnus of professional development programs at MIT, Stanford, Santa Fe Institute, Science Policy Research Unit at University of Sussex, University of New South Wales Sydney, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and the International Council of Systems Engineers.
He has led or assisted science and engineering projects in Vietnam, Honduras, Nepal, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Czechia, and the Navajo Nation.
Judy Amanor-Boadu, PhD.
Judy Amanor-Boadu, PhD. is an electrical engineer with 10+ years experiences in the semiconductor, PC, and battery charging industries. She currently holds the position of senior analog engineer at Intel Corporation where she focuses on power delivery modeling and characterization of Intel data center products. She also provides implementation guidelines, performs feasibilities studies, design verification, and sign offs of current and future generations of Xeon processors and accelerators.
She is strong believer in the power of mentorship and the overall career development of people. During her doctoral studies at Texas A&M University, she served as the mentor for the first all-female autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) team to participate in the AUVSI Robosub competition, where she helped team members develop their practical engineering, project management, and budgeting skills. She also served as an advisor for the SAE Supermileage and Vex-U teams and cofounded several student organizations, serving as a career resource for both undergraduates and graduate students during her time at Texas A&M University.
She served as the FY16 National Graduate Society of Women Engineers (SWE) webinar coordinator and Texas A&M University SWE mentorship coordinator from 2014 to 2016. During her tenure, she developed programs for both undergraduate and graduate students concerning career paths and job interviews. She also co-organized the first IEEE African workshop on Circuits and Systems in Ghana in 2017, and sits on the IEEE Instrumentation and Measurement International Instrumentation and Measurement Technology 2020 conference committee. Dr. Amanor-Boadu regularly serves as a reviewer for MDPI journals. She is currently piloting a robotics and entrepreneurship program for middles schoolers in Accra, Ghana.
Her current and past research activities include the development of lithium ion battery charging algorithms, energy harvesting, specifically solar energy harvesting systems, and wireless charging.
Judy Amanor-Boadu holds Bachelor and Masters of Science, and doctoral degrees in electrical engineering.
Justin Mieth
Justin is a Quality Engineer at Hanger Fabrication Network, specializing in quality assurance/quality control operations, prosthetic and orthotic design, 3D printing, and intellectual property. He oversees quality and regulatory projects, provisional and non-provisional patent work, and industrial 3D printer repairs. Justin previously worked for Boeing as an ergonomist assessing workplace safety for both commercial and defense product lines.
He is an ASU alumni, holding both a Masters and Bachelors Degree in Biomedical Engineering, and during his time in school he was a member of the Biomedical Engineering Society, participated in FURI/MORE for research, and graduated from the Barrett Honors College.
In his free time, he enjoys hiking, golf, and live music.
Michael King
Michael King is a part of Cisco’s Corporate Affairs Environmental Sustainability team, with a focus on product design and life cycle analysis. Michael engages frequently with Cisco’s customers and partners to discuss the sustainability features of Cisco’s products and solutions, learn more about their initiatives and how Cisco can help them reach their sustainability goals. Previously, he was a Mechanical Engineer in Cisco’s Supply Chain Organization focused on developing cost effective and sustainable products.
Michael holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Arizona State University and a Master of Engineering Management from Duke University.
Paul Balch, PE
Paul Balch, PE, is the Arizona Transportation Group Leader at Dibble. He is a registered professional civil engineer with more than 25 years of experience in transportation infrastructure, including designing freeways, grade separated interchanges, and city street improvement projects. Paul has worked on more than 350 transportation infrastructure projects totaling 650 miles of roadway improvements.
For the past nine years, Paul has served as an Academic Associate at ASU in the Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) program and as a Faculty Associate at ASU for Highway Geometric Design courses. Outside of work, Paul enjoys golfing, hiking, working with scouts, and spending time with his family.
Peter Fischer
Peter Fischer joined EPICS in 2022 as a Community Partner on two team projects, and now returns for his 4th semester as Industry Mentor. Peter holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Grand Canyon University and a Bachelor in Architecture from Arizona State University. Peter has been working towards inclusive accessible design for over two decades serving on the Phoenix Mayor’s Commission on Disability Issues from 2006 to 2010, and as the City of Phoenix’s City-wide ADA Coordinator for five years. Today, Peter is the Coordinator of Accessibility Compliance at Arizona State University where he reviews construction design and plans for accessibility compliance to enhance ASU’s progressive vision of accessibility innovation.
Rajat Arora
Rajat joined EPICS in 2017 as a student during his undergrad in Electrical Engineering and was a team lead throughout his 4+1 at ASU. Since 2022, he has worked at Intel as an ASIC development engineer, working with EDA tools, digital implementation and process design kits (PDKs).
Rajat has extensive experience within the EPICS program both as a student and as a mentor, and can provide valuable assistance to help students with project management and project definition. Rajat also has experience in hardware/schematic design, PCB design, and Arduino.
Rubayat Mahmud
Dr. Rubayat Mahmud is a Regional Sales Director with HCL Technology. Rubayat has a 16+ years of professional experience. He is a motivational and approachable sales and business development leader with extensive track record of success in Hi-tech, Semiconductor and Emerging Technology areas. He is a business savvy person with a strong technical background who has the vision of relationships and partnerships required to scale in the Hi-tech, Semiconductor and Emerging Technology verticals. Rubayat has deep understanding of the overall technology value chain and has experiences in interacting with customers and partners across the Engineering and R&D value chain. Rubayat is a respected business strategist and change maker with sound judgment who creates and grows new revenue streams by combining deep technical knowledge and exceptional communications and relationship skills to meet the needs of internal and external customers.
Rubayat has extensive experience in multiple leadership roles in the Hi-Tech and Semiconductor verticals. Before joining HCL, he was serving as Director of Strategic Services at a Management Consulting Firm called MSS Business Transformation Advisory (MSSBTA). At MSSBTA, Rubayat was responsible for driving strategic growth in the Hi-Tech vertical. Before MSS, Rubayat worked as Director of Sales and Business Development at QuEST Global Services. At QuEST, Rubayat drove Sales and Business Development with marquee accounts like Intel, Dell, Infineon etc. Before QuEST Rubayat spent 11 years with Intel in multiple leadership roles. He started his journey at Intel as a Senior Process Engineer, Litho, PTD in Portland, OR. In subsequent years, he worked in CQN, ATTD, Technology Integration and IOTG groups in various technical and business-related roles.
Rubayat has an MBA from W P Carey School of Business at ASU. He has a PhD in Chemical Engineering from Texas A&M and a MSc. In Chemical Engineering from Texas Tech University.
Siena Elias
Siena Elias is an academic associate for the Spring 2024 semester of EPICS.
Sienna Walker
Sienna is a DevOps Engineer at lululemon and an ASU Alum with a B.S.E. in Electrical Engineering. She is an AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner and is currently working towards her Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA) certification. In addition, Sienna is passionate about mentoring early-career Software Engineers through lululemon’s IDEA Global Internship Program, which she took part in as 1 of 15 inaugural interns in 2021. Her technical skill set includes building automated CI/CD pipelines, maintaining cloud infrastructure, and developing monitoring solutions that promote end-to-end observability. Outside of work, Sienna enjoys skiing, flying in business class, and online shopping.
Tom Zender
Tom Zender is a Phoenix-based CEO Mentor, Business Coach, and Leadership Developer- working with the CEO’s of large, medium and small businesses. He held leadership roles at General Electric, Honeywell, small-midsize companies, nonprofits, and startups. Tom has served on NASDAQ and Toronto Stock Exchange listed corporate boards. He is the author of seven books about business leadership, and writes a column about leadership for the Phoenix Business Journal. Tom mentors startup businesses in the ASU Venture Devils program and global community projects in the ASU EPICS program. He conducts workshops on leadership and other topics in a variety of venues. Tom holds a BA in Business Administration from Ottawa University, with emphasis on leadership, marketing, and software engineering. He developed the design software for the nose section of the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird Mach 3 aircraft.
Tyson Elias
Tyson Elias is an academic associate for the Spring 2024 semester of EPICS.