The Dean’s Award for Achievement is the highest honor presented by the school. It is awarded annually to someone who has made a substantial contribution to the practice of engineering or applied sciences and/or has had an exceptional professional career. The recipient is an honored speaker at commencement, where he/she shares advice and words of wisdom to students, families and friends.
| 2024 | Victor Bahl, BS EE 1986, MS EE 1988, Technical Fellow and Chief Technology Officer, Microsoft Azure for Operators |
| 2023 | Laura Pyrak-Nolte, BS ES 1981, Distinguished Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Purdue University |
| 2022 | Dinah Gueldenpfennig Weisberg, BS CS 1987, Chief Executive Officer and President, REDCOM Laboratories Inc |
| 2021 | John Schneider, BS EE 1980, MS EE 1987, PhD EE 1990, Vice President of Technology, Qualcomm |
| 2020 | Robert Harrison, P.E., BS ME 1983, Vice President Engineering and Construction, Transmission Developers, Inc. |
| 2019 | Jonathan Watts, P.E., BS IE 2000, BS CIE 2003, Vice President, Watts Architecture and Engineering |
| 2018 | Gina Lee-Glauser, BS MAE 1982, MS MAE 1988, Vice President for Research and Scholarship, Clarkson University |
| 2017 | Ann Wegrzyn, BS IE 1985, MBA 1990, CIO, National Fuel Gas |
| 2016 | Norman Hayes, BS EE & BA CS 1980, Director of ASIC Engineering, Analog Bits |
| 2015 | Krishna Kolluri, MS IE 1988, General Partner, New Enterprise Associates |
| 2014 | Stephen E. Still, BS CIE 1976, Founder and Managing Director, Seabury Airline Planning Group, LLC |
| 2013 | John R. “Jack” Davis, BS IE 1955, Founder and Owner, I Squared R Element Company, Inc. |
| 2012 | James P. Smist, BS CE 1980, President, Dean and Company |
| 2011 | Scott D. Stevens, PE, BS CIE 1979, Founder and Chief Executive Officer Dimension Fabricators, Inc. |
| 2010 | Russell L. Agrusa, BS EE 1976, Founder, President, and Chief Executive Officer ICONICS |
| 2009 | Gina Bronkie Hammond, MS CS 1973 Director, Computer Science Corporation's North America Public Sector, Defense Division |
| 2008 | Norman R. McCombs, BS ME 1968, Senior Vice President, AirSep Corporation |
| 2007 | Mark H. Karwan, Professor and Dean Emeritus, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University at Buffalo |
| 2006 | Douglas P. Taylor, BS ME 1971, President, Taylor Devices, Inc.; President, Tayco Developments, Inc. |
| 2005 | Steven L. Lerner, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Praxair |
| 2004 | George C. Lee, Samuel P. Capen Professor of Engineering and Dean Emeritus, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University at Buffalo |
| 2003 | Hadi Makarechian, BS CIE 1972 Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Capital Pacific Holdings, Inc. |
| 2002 | Lawrence L. Peckham, BS IE 1969 Founder, LPA Associates |
| 2001 | Henry Stone, BS ME 1949, Vice President, retired, General Electric |
| 2000 | Erich Bloch, BS EE 1952, ScD (Hon) 1985 Distinguished Fellow, Council on Competitiveness, Principal, Washington Advisory Group, LLC |
| 1999 | Eli Ruckenstein, Distinguished Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University at Buffalo and John Zahorjan, PhD IE 1974, Adjunct Professor, Department of Industrial Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University at Buffalo |
| 1998 | Hiroshi Morihara, PhD ME 1971 Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Peninsula Laboratories, Inc.; President, Via Press, Inc.; President, CGC, Inc. |
| 1997 | Calvin C. Chien, MS CIE 1970, PhD CIE, 1974 Environmental Fellow, DuPont Company |
| 1996 | Anthony L. Russo, PhD ME 1969 Executive Director, Calspan-University at Buffalo Research Center (CUBRC); Vice President, Calspan Corporation's Advanced Technology Center |
| 1995 | Hatim A. Tyabji, MS EE 1969, DocHL (Hon) 2001, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, VeriFone, Inc. |
| 1994 | Robert H. Goldsmith, BS ME 1951 Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Exten Industries, Inc. |
| 1993 | Irving H. Shames, Distinguished Teaching Professor Emeritus, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University at Buffalo |
| 1992 | Lee H. Runk, BS IE 1961, President, Harvard Industries, Inc. |
| 1991 | Sol W. Weller, Furnas Professor Emeritus, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University at Buffalo |
| 1990 | Ray W. Judson, President, The Parsons Corporation |
| 1989 | Gerald D. Albertson, Vice-President, Linde Division, Union Carbide Corporation |
| 1988 | Henry P. Semmelhack, President, Barrister Information Systems Corporation |
| 1987 | H. Robert Leland, President, Calspan Corporation |
| 1986 | Gregory B. Jarvis, BS EE 1967, Awarded Posthumously, Hughes Aircraft Company, NASA Payload Specialist |
| 1985 | Howard E. Strauss, MS ME 1954, Professor and Associate Dean, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University at Buffalo |
| 1984 | William C. Moog, Jr., Chairman and President, Moog, Incorporated |
| 1983 | Charles M. Fogel, BS PHY 1935, Professor and Director of Industrial Liaison, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University at Buffalo |
| 1982 | Martin Kasbohm, Director, Research and Development, Linde Division, Union Carbide Corporation |
| 1981 | James DeSerio, President, DeSerio Engineers |
| 1980 | Paul E. Mohn, Professor Emeritus and former Dean, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University at Buffalo |
| 1979 | Wilson Greatbatch, MS EE 1956, ScD (Hon) 1984 President, Wilson Greatbatch, Limited |
| 1978 | James W. McLernon, BS IE 1950, DocHL (Hon) 1998 President, Volkswagen Manufacturing Corporation of America |