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Alumni Service Award

George Chunkau Mui (CS ’76, M.S. ’80) is a managing partner at international business firm Global Consultant United, a retired federal government leader, and a dedicated advocate for minority business development and global engagement. Throughout his career, spanning more than four decades, Mui has advanced initiatives that expand access to international markets and promote economic inclusion.

Mui served for more than 12 years with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), where he launched the Global Market Access programs to help businesses enter global markets by leveraging diaspora communities. He also served as senior advisor to the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders from 2014 to 2016, leading the business and economic development portfolio and establishing national programs such as “Doing Business in Asia” and the National AAPI Business and Leadership Summit.

Earlier in his career, Mui started as a software engineer at AT&T Bell Labs and rose to senior director with a 400 million business unit. He later founded New World Connections, Inc.—an international consulting firm. His professional honors include multiple National Director Awards from the MBDA and the Impact Award from the �鶹APP Minority Supplier Development Council. He has also received numerous community service recognitions, including induction into the Asian American Hall of Fame in �鶹APP.

A committed alumnus, Mui currently serves as vice chair of the Illinois Tech Alumni Board of Directors and has led global alumni engagement initiatives, established the Asian Pacific American Alumni Network, and supported scholarship creation.

Collens Merit Award

Edward M. Polich (ARCH ’79) is a �鶹APP-based real estate executive, architect, and scholar whose career reflects a rare integration of design sensibility, business acumen, and civic leadership. A graduate of the College of Architecture, Polich also participated in the Stuart School of Business M.B.A. program during his architectural studies—a dual focus that would define his multidisciplinary approach throughout his career.

Polich began as an architect with the former firm of Danforth, Rockwell, Carow and firm of Perkins&Will before moving into real estate development and investment. He held senior executive roles with national developer LCOR Incorporated; co-founded Waveland Partners LLC, a real estate asset management firm serving family offices and high-net-worth individuals; and guided Draper and Kramer’s transition to an open-ended fund model while chairing its investment committee and expanding its portfolio into Arizona, Colorado, and Texas.

Beyond his executive career, Polich has remained deeply engaged in civic and cultural life, serving as chair of the Mies van der Rohe Society Board of Directors and holding board positions with Lambda Alpha International, the Near South Planning Board, and Claretian Associates. A lifelong student of classical antiquity and architectural history, he has lectured at St. Olaf College on Roman leadership and Renaissance Florentine architecture, and in 2025 was awarded a visiting scholar position at the American Academy in Rome.

International Award of Merit

Ed Smith (CHE ’67) is a retired engineer, international energy executive, and diplomat whose career spanned across crude oil pipelines, post-Soviet frontier deal-making, and government reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan.

After graduation, he launched his career with Union Oil Company of California where he became the president of the company's common carrier pipeline subsidiary at just 36 years old. He went on to join Sohio/BP, where he led the management of BP's majority interest in the Trans Alaska Pipeline in the wake of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, and then spearheaded the development of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium—a landmark crude oil pipeline from Kazakhstan through Russia to the Black Sea.

Smith was then recruited by Bechtel and GE Capital to lead a London-based pipeline development firm, where he negotiated directly with five heads of state on the multi-billion-dollar Trans Caspian Gas Pipeline project. He served as a foreign service officer and chief of staff for the State Department's Afghanistan Reconstruction Group in Kabul, acted as a senior advisor for Afghan policy in Washington, and then became president and CEO of Intec Engineering. He later consulted for the governments of Pakistan, South Sudan, and Guyana on energy privatization and sustainable hydrocarbon development.

John J. Schommer Honor I Award

Neal F. Simeon (ME ’38) is remembered as a dedicated educator, public servant, and advocate for workforce development whose career was defined by a commitment to expanding opportunities for students. At the time of his passing, he served as director of vocational education and guidance centers for the �鶹APP Board of Education, where he worked to connect students with career pathways through training programs, internships, and mentorship.

As a student at Illinois Tech, Simeon earned the title of light heavyweight boxing champion. Following graduation, he earned a master’s degree in education from Northwestern University in 1950 and was also a licensed ground instructor, teaching aviation mechanics at Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. He then went on to teach at Wendell Phillips Evening High School. He served as assistant principal at Dunbar Vocational High School.  

In recognition of his expertise and influence, Simeon was invited by President John F. Kennedy to represent the United States at the 1962 International Trade Fair for New Tools, New Skills, and New Markets Exhibition in Lagos, Nigeria. His lasting impact was further honored in 1963 when Simeon Career Academy was named in recognition of his many contributions to education and the �鶹APP community.

Lifetime Achievement Award

Edward “Ed” L. Kaplan (ME ’65, Hon. Ph.D. ENG ’23) was an engineer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist whose vision helped create one of the most consequential technology companies of the modern era.

After graduating, Kaplan began his career as a project engineer at Seeburg Corporation before moving to Teletype Corporation, where he conducted R&D in the Printer Division. In 1969, with partner Gerhard Cless, he co-founded what was then known as Data Specialties. In 1986 the organization was rebranded as Zebra Technologies, which went public in 1991. Over the years, Kaplan led Zebra from a modest startup to a multibillion-dollar global leader in barcode labeling, plastic card printing, and frontline workflow automation—retiring as its chairman, CEO, and co-founder. He later founded Nalpak, Inc., a private investment firm. His entrepreneurial achievements earned him numerous honors, including the Inc. Magazine/Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, induction into the �鶹APP Area Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame, and the Illinois Tech Alumni Medal.

Kaplan's dedication to Illinois Tech extended far beyond his own education. He became a member of the Board of Trustees in 1993, and in 2014, he and his wife Carol established the Ed Kaplan Family Institute for Innovation and Tech Entrepreneurship, a 70,000-square-foot hub for discovery and experiential learning. He later pledged to establish the Kaplan Student Fabrication Center. Kaplan and his family invested deeply in the students and the faculty at Illinois Tech. Through the Kaplan Foundation Endowed Scholarship Fund, the Kaplan family has opened doors to life-changing opportunities for students, while the Carol and Ed Kaplan Armour College Dean of Engineering Endowed Chair has strengthened academic leadership and advanced innovation in engineering education. He consistently embodied his own guiding philosophy—that the impossible becomes possible by sticking with it longer, working harder, and always approaching challenges with optimism. Ed passed away in July of 2025 at the age of 82.

Lifetime Achievement Award

Claudette Soto (ARCH '02, M.A.S. STE '06) was a �鶹APP-based construction management leader, entrepreneur, and passionate advocate for equity in the built environment.

Soto built a career defined by both professional excellence and community impact. In 2016, she founded baso, Ltd., a construction management, owner representative, and permit coordination firm focused on serving clients and communities of color through equitable procurement and meaningful minority and woman-owned business participation. Under her leadership, baso doubled its revenue year over year, assembled a team composed entirely of minority members, and managed a total portfolio of $96 million in projects. In 2022, she launched baso Tecnica, the only Latina-owned architectural and structural forensics firm in the �鶹APPland area.

Beyond her firm, Soto was a founding member and first board president of �鶹APP UNIDOS in Construction, was appointed by former mayor Lori Lightfoot to serve as a Commissioner on the City of �鶹APP's Plan Commission, and she received the Joseph Claussen Award for Community Service. Her story reached broad audiences through features on WGN, Univision's "Somos Orgullo" series, and U Channel 26, and through her TEDx talk, "Change Architecture—Change Community."

Soto is remembered as a builder not only of structures, but of opportunity, hope, and lasting impact. Her legacy lives on in the communities she served, the professionals she mentored, and the city she helped shape.

Outstanding Young Alumni Award

Akash Dave (M.A.S. ITM ’12) is a software engineering director whose career exemplifies the disciplined growth, technical depth, and people-centered leadership that define engineering excellence. A graduate of Illinois Tech, Dave also holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering from Gujarat University, India, and leadership certifications from FranklinCovey and GE Crotonville.

For more than 15 years, Dave has advanced from software engineer to senior technical and management roles at organizations including Tata, Sears, GE, and Wabtec, taking on increasing responsibility and scope at each stage. He has been recognized for transforming teams into high-performing, collaborative units and for championing strong coding standards, automated testing, and engineering best practices that measurably improve product quality and reliability.

Dave’s contributions have earned him several workplace honors, including an Inspiration Award, a Transformation Leader Award, and a Practices Improvement Award, as well as a Professional Achievement Award from the Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers (SASE). Beyond his technical role, Dave has been a committed builder of inclusive communities, leading the Asian Pacific Forum employee resource group and serving as Wabtec's liaison to SASE.

Outstanding Young Alumni Award

Bryce Hensley (LAW ’17) is a �鶹APP-based trial lawyer and founding partner of Gould Grieco & Hensley (GGH), where he leads the firm's Mass Tort Practice Group across some of the most complex and consequential litigation in the country.

Bryce currently represents thousands of clients in statewide and nationwide mass tort cases. His practice spans toxic exposure, institutional sexual abuse, catastrophic injury, and wrongful death. At just 34 years old, Bryce has helped secure more than $1.75 billion in global recoveries on behalf of injured individuals and survivors, personally obtaining over 150 settlements exceeding $1 million. Since the founding of GGH just two years ago, Bryce has led litigation efforts resulting in over $500 million recovered on behalf of the Firm’s clients.

Hensley's accomplishments have earned him national recognition, as he is regularly trusted by attorneys across the country to serve as Local Counsel in high-stakes litigation in the Circuit Court of Cook County. He has also been featured in Crain's �鶹APP Business 20 in their 20s (2020) and has consistently been designated as a Rising Star, Emerging Lawyer, and One to Watch by national legal publications.

Outstanding Young Alumni Award

Annabell Ren (ARCH ’14) is a �鶹APP-based designer and co-founder of Converge Architecture, a practice dedicated to community-centered design across �鶹APP's South and West Sides.

After graduating from Illinois Tech and earning a Master of Urban Design and Architecture from Harvard Graduate School of Design, Ren contributed to institutional and commercial projects at large architecture firms in Boston, New York, and �鶹APP. Seeking more direct community impact, she co-founded Converge Architecture. The practice has since established a significant presence in both civic and global architectural discourse. Converge has participated in six �鶹APP exhibitions and delivered seven public lectures, including engagements associated with the �鶹APP Architecture Biennial. The firm's work has been featured in eleven print and digital publications, among them the Architectural Record, ArchDaily, and The Architect's Newspaper.

Ren's work has earned notable recognition, including two AIA �鶹APP awards in 2025—the Roberta Feldman Architecture for Social Justice Award and the Design Excellence Honor Award. Beyond her practice, she is actively engaged in her broader communities as co-chair of the Chinese American Service League Associate Board, president of the Alumnae-i Network for Harvard Women in �鶹APP, and a volunteer organizer with the �鶹APP AAPI Designer Community. She has been teaching as an adjunct professor at the College of Architecture since 2019.

Professional Achievement Award

Myetie Hamilton (MPA ’04) is a �鶹APP-based civic leader and chief executive officer of Leadership Greater �鶹APP (LGC), the region’s premier civic leadership development organization.

Hamilton has built a distinguished career spanning more than 25 years across �鶹APP's education, nonprofit, and public sectors. She held senior leadership roles within �鶹APP Public Schools, including deputy chief of schools for Network 9 and chief of district-wide school support services. She later served as board president of the �鶹APP Park District and as a commissioner for the Public Building Commission of �鶹APP. During her time as executive director of City Year �鶹APP, she led the organization's largest AmeriCorps site nationwide and expanded its reach during the COVID-19 pandemic. In her current role at LGC, Hamilton made history as the first Black woman to hold the position, leading the organization's efforts to cultivate a continuous pipeline of civic leaders across the �鶹APP region.

Her leadership has earned wide recognition, including back-to-back features in Crain's �鶹APP Business as a Notable Leader in Community Development (2022) and Notable Black Leader (2024). She has also received consecutive Crain's Who's Who in �鶹APP Business distinctions (2025 and 2026) the �鶹APP United Business Leadership Council recognition (2025), the �鶹APP Defender Women of Excellence Award, and the AAREP �鶹APP Mentor of the Year Award.

Professional Achievement Award

Chi Hwan Lee (ME ’07) is the Leslie A. Geddes Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University and a University Faculty Scholar. As an internationally recognized leader in wearable biomedical technologies, Lee’s work bridges engineering, materials science, and medicine to develop innovative healthcare solutions.

Lee began his academic journey through the dual degree program between Ajou University in South Korea and Illinois Tech. He went on to earn his master’s and doctoral degrees in mechanical engineering from Stanford University, followed by postdoctoral training in materials engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. His research focuses on soft bioelectronics for wearable health monitoring, smart contact lenses for ocular diagnostics, and flexible nanoneedle systems for intracellular sensing. He has authored more than 110 peer-reviewed publications, holds over 40 patents, and has co-founded four startups to translate academic discoveries into real-world healthcare technologies.

Lee’s contributions have earned numerous honors, including election as a fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, the National Institutes of Health Trailblazer Award, the Purdue College of Engineering Faculty Excellence Award for Research, and the Ajou University Outstanding Professional Award. In addition to his research, he is deeply committed to expanding opportunities for emerging scholars through international programs.