2025 Class Notes

Published November 18, 2025

School of Engineering and Applied Sciences alumni continue to make an impact across industries and communities around the world. Below is a brief list that highlights their recent achievements and milestones. 

Have a class note? Submit it to seascomm@buffalo.edu.

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Daniel D'Angelo (BS ’83)

Daniel D'Angelo.

D'Angelo, principal civil engineer at Applied Research Associates and SEAS Dean’s Advisory Council member, was named a fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Michael Rosenfeld (BS ’94) and Brian Riffel (BS ’94)

Michael Rosenfeld.
Brian Riffel.

Rosenfeld and Riffel were recently named CEO and chief operating officer, respectively, at ATCS, a civil engineering firm based in Virginia.

Cynthia Hoover (PhD ’95) and Joseph Mannarino (PhD ’01, MBA ’90 & BS ’88)

Cynthia Hoover.
Joseph Mannarino.

Hoover, executive director at Linde and SEAS Dean’s Advisory Council  member, and Mannarino, president at Buffalo Construction Consultants and UB Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering Advisory Board member, are recipients of Buffalo Business First’s 2024 C-Level Awards.

David Blekhman (PhD ’02)

David Blekhman.

Blekhman, professor of technology at California State University, Los Angeles, received the 2025 President’s Distinguished Professor Award.

Mohan Akella (PhD ’05, MS ’03)

Mohan Akella.

Akella, senior vice president and chief member insights officer at Sam's Club, received the 2025 Dean’s Award for Achievement, SEAS’ highest honor, and delivered the commencement address to the Class of 2025.

Kourtney Brown (BS ’10)

Kourtney Brown.

Brown, UB Athletics hall of famer and senior process integration engineer at Samsung, had her jersey retired and raised into the rafters of Alumni Arena for her outstanding basketball career.

Maxwell Boamah (BS ’14)

Maxwell Boamah.

Boamah was recently named a lead project manager at the Cumming Group, a construction management and cost consulting firm.

Tresor Mavinga (BS ’14, BA ’14)

Tresor Mavinga.

Mavinga recently joined the U.S. Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command as a project manager.

Brian Bojko (PhD ’17, MS ’14 & BS ‘11)

Brian Bojko.

Bojko, mechanical engineer at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, received a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers.

Joshua Weisberger (PhD ’20, MS ’15 & BS ’12)

Joshua Weisberger.

Weisberger, a research engineer at the NASA Langley Research Center, was co-awarded the 2025 NASA Invention of the Year and the 2025 R&D 100 Award form R&D World.

Zachary Steever (PhD ’21, MS ’18 & BS ’16)

Zachary Steever.

Steever, assistant director of football research and strategy for the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles, celebrated the teams’ Super Bowl LIX victory.

Sean Mackay (PhD ‘25, BS ’20)

Sean Mackay.

Mackay, the first PhD graduate of the Department of Engineering Education, has joined the faculty of the University of Oklahoma as an assistant professor of computer science.