School of Engineering Board of Advisors

Alan Thomas

Vice President, Innovation & Development
Framatome Inc.

Alan Thomas is a graduate of Clemson University with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. Over his 22+ years at Framatome, he has held various positions within engineering, business and leadership. Prior to his current assignment, Alan provided leadership for the engineering business for specialty and NSSS engineering products and services. He also served as a loaned employee to the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations performing plant assessments and assisting its members.

Alan currently focuses on performance improvements and growth through development of new products and services, partnerships and acquisitions. He is also the executive sponsor for North America’s Digital Transformation and Knowledge Management initiatives, which target achieving more efficient results using technology and expanding the skillsets of our people.

Alba Colón

Born Alba Lynnette Colón Rodriguez in 1968 in Salamanca, Spain, Colón moved with her family to Puerto Rico at the age of 3. Inspired by Sally Ride, who in 1983 became the first woman in space, Colón’s dream was to become an astronaut. That personal goal, coupled with a natural gift for science and mathematics, drove her to pursue a career in engineering.

Colón attended the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, where a professor changed the course of her life with an introduction to auto racing. As an engineering student, she built solar-powered race cars and later became the school’s Formula SAE team captain. Her participation in collegiate racing exhibitions near the U.S. automotive capital of Detroit led to her first job in motor sports at GM.

In January 2018, decorated auto racing engineer Alba Colón joined Hendrick Motorsports as director of competition systems. She works to enhance capabilities that directly support at-track competition for the 12-time NASCAR Cup Series champions with responsibility for critical areas including simulation; data acquisition; analytics and communication technologies; and research and development.

Colón has received numerous honors for her pioneering work. In 2017, the Hispanic Heritage Foundation presented her with the STEM Award for contributions in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. She was named one of Hispanic Business magazine’s 20 Elite Women in 2007 and honored as one of Business Insider’s 23 Most Powerful Women Engineers in the World in 2015.

Chris Ewing

Founder Ewing/Kessler, Inc.

Chris Ewing is founder, Chairman and CEO of Ewing/Kessler, Inc. one of the largest independent building systems company in the Mid-South providing engineered solutions related to air conditioning, power, and energy management.  With nearly $50 million in sales, Ewing/Kessler has become a regional “powerhouse”. His company’s core businesses are made up of four components: an engineered equipment division, a parts wholesale distribution division, a service division, and a building automation platform that Ewing/Kessler installs throughout the region.

Current high-profile projects for this company includes the Cook Convention Center in Downtown Memphis.  Past highlights include the Bass Pro Shop and Pyramid, the Landers Center in Southaven, the FedEx Forum, the Federal Building, numerous Belz Enterprises properties, and ServiceMaster’s new Downtown Memphis headquarters.

Graduating at the top of his class with a Mechanical Engineering degree from Mississippi State University, Ewing made a name from himself catering to the hospitality market, promoting energy saving solutions, and cost-effective air-conditioning systems. His passion for business development has not stopped.  As a founder of more than 5 companies with revenues exceeding $100 million dollars, Ewing’s portfolio extends from the construction market to rural high-speed internet to the video gaming industry.

Ewing resides with his family in Collierville, a suburb of Memphis, Tennessee.

Dr. Elliot Fang

Manager
Sandia National Laboratories

Dr. Eliot Fang is the Manager of the Solid Mechanics Department at Sandia National Laboratories. He received his B.S. degree from the National Central University in Taiwan and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of California at Santa Barbara, all in mechanical engineering. Dr. Fang’s research interest is to apply modeling approaches and high performance computing to elucidate mechanisms of material behaviors and to predict material behaviors at various length scales in different environments. He has over 60 publications and 70 invited presentations reporting his technical accomplishments and contributions to materials modeling and simulations. Dr. Fang is a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and a recipient of the 2006 Asian American Engineer of the Year Award.

Hanri Kaya

Chief Executive Officer
Zentih Firerarms

Hanri worked as both a registered nurse and a part-time business manager for eight years, before transitioning in 2014 to full-time work in various executive roles for Zenith Quest Corporation and its subsidiaries, including Zenith Firearms. She currently serves as the chief executive officer, a position from which she shapes the company’s vision and strives to set a high standard for the staff by her examples of dedication and integrity in the pursuit of excellence. Hanri has earned a bachelor’s degree (2005), and an MBA with international concentration (2014), from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia.

During her tenure as chief executive, Hanri has overseen the company’s successful execution of a $54 million ammunition contract with Walmart Inc., and presided over Zenith Firearms’ ascendance in the U.S. roller-delayed blowback firearms market. She is currently spearheading the company’s execution of a multi-year asset acquisition plan that will transform Zenith Firearms from being primarily a U.S. importer and distributor of firearms, to being a full-service U.S. manufacturer.

As CEO, Hanri also undertakes administrative, contractual, financial, and regulatory responsibilities across the spectrum of ZQC’s international operations in the firearms, defense, cybersecurity, unmanned aerial systems, and energy industries.

Joseph K. Miller

President

BWXT Advanced Technologies LLC, Cunico, Dynamic Controls LTD

Joseph K. Miller is the president of BWXT Advanced Technologies LLC, a subsidiary of BWX Technologies, Inc. (BWXT), and subsidiaries Cunico and Dynamic Controls, Ltd. Prior to his current position, he served as general
manager. He also held the role of program manager for BWXT’s Nuclear Energy Advanced Reactors and Engineering group.
Mr. Miller previously served as a system design manager of various nuclear engineering projects as well as test engineering manager, validating the design of the mPower™ small modular reactor nuclear steam supply system.
During his 24-year career, Mr. Miller served in the U.S. Navy onboard the USS Norfolk (SSN 714) and was a mechanical test engineer for new construction of Virginia-class submarines. He also worked as a semiconductor equipment engineer.
Mr. Miller holds a master’s degree in radiation health physics from Oregon State University. He is a member of the Virginia American Nuclear Society
Executive Committee.