Engineer of the Year

Geetha Srikantan was named the 2026 Engineer of the Year by the UB Engineering and Applied Sciences Alumni Association. After graduating from UB with a PhD in computer science and engineering in 1994, Srikantan went on to hold numerous positions where her work ranged from data storage and retrieval to creating AI systems. She currently serves as a staff engineer at Nutanix, where she leads initiatives that utilize AI to improve and increase efficiency in engineering workflows.

Aspasia Sissy Nikolaou, PhD, PE, BC.GE, was named the 2025 Engineer of the Year by the UB Engineering and Applied Sciences Alumni Association. Nikolaou, who earned her PhD and MS from the Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering at UB, is a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the Earthquake Engineering Group Leader for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

Salvatore Privitera was named the 2024 Engineer of the Year by the UB Engineering and Applied Sciences Alumni Association. Privitera, BS '88 Mechanical Engineering, is the Chief Technical Officer of AtriCure.

John F. Durning was named the 2023 Engineer of the Year by the UB Engineering and Applied Sciences Alumni Association. Durning, BS '85 Aerospace Engineering, is the Deputy Project Manager for the James Webb Space Telescope Project, at Goddard Space Flight Center, in Greenbelt, Md.

Michael J. Cadigan was named the 2022 Engineer of the Year by the UB Engineering and Applied Sciences Alumni Association. Cadigan, BS ’79 Mechanical Engineering, is the Chief Quality Officer at GlobalFoundries since August 2022.

Do you know an outstanding alumnus of the UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences? We accept nominations every year to honor an individual who has distinguished himself/herself in alumni, community, business and professional activities. Nominees for 2027 should be submitted by Sept. 15, 2026. Contact engineeringalumni@buffalo.edu for more information.