April 20, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Amy Hewes
(805) 756-6402
ahewes@calpoly.edu
Three Distinguished Grads
Honored by Cal Poly College of Engineering
SAN LUIS OBISPO – Cal Poly’s College of Engineering recognized three distinguished alumni with Professional Achievement Awards during the university’s recent Open House celebration.
The annual awards honor graduates of 10 years or more who have
attained a high level of distinction in their fields. The winners
were 1985 aerospace engineering graduate Beth Anderson from Bellevue,
Wash., 1984 civil engineering alumnus Alfonso Rodriguez from Fullerton,
and 1983 mechanical engineering graduate Randel Woodgrift from Lake
Elsinore.
After graduating from Cal Poly, Anderson joined The Boeing Company
as a structural engineer analyzing airplane damage and designing
repairs. She moved into management positions, including director
of engineering services for airplane services, a position in which
she led 1,100 engineers to provide “Total Solutions”
for the airline industry. She was also named a member of the Boeing
Safety Council and representative for International Air Transport
Association initiatives. Today, Anderson is director of technical
services for Boeing Commercial Airplane, providing comprehensive
technical and business leadership and guidance for the modification
services business unit.
For a period of time, Rodriguez was the youngest city
engineer in the state, serving as city engineer and land surveyor
for several local agencies. He also managed the new high school
construction program for the Los Angeles Unified School District
before becoming deputy executive officer for the Metropolitan Transportation
Authority and project manager of two heavy-rail subway projects,
totaling $3 billion, in downtown Los Angeles. Currently, Rodriguez
serves as vice president and operations manager of the URS Corp.
office in Los Angeles. The corporation, for the fourth consecutive
year,
ranked number one in Engineering News Record’s list of the
top 500 design firms
Woodgrift is corporate vice president for Edwards Lifesciences’
Manufacturing Operations. The company is a global leader in advanced
cardiovascular disease products and technologies and in acute hemodynamic
monitoring. It is also the number-one heart valve company in the
world. Woodgrift has held management positions in research and development
and manufacturing and operations, including management of the Puerto
Rico operation of Baxter’s CardioVascular Group. He was vice
president of heart-valve operations for the United States and Europe,
eventually assuming responsibility for all CardioVascular manufacturing,
logistics, facilities, environmental and health and safety functions.
In 1999, he initiated the CardioVascular Group’s first operations
in the Dominican Republic.
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