Fifteen Kettering University graduating students have been recognized as recipients of prestigious President’s Medal, Sobey Scholar and Leaders Fellow awards this year. The students will be recognized at an honors dinner and reception at Warwick Hills Golf and Country Club in Grand Blanc, Michigan, June 16. 

The awards recognize a variety of academic, service, leadership and professional achievements. The awards dinner will be held the night before Kettering University’s Commencement ceremony, which is at 11 a.m. June 17, in the Connie and Jim John Recreation Center. 

The President’s Medal recognizes scholarship, professionalism on the job and community involvement. 

Sobey Scholars awards are a distinction presented to students elected to the Robot Honor Society and one of Kettering’s academic honor societies. 

Here are this year’s recipients: 

Kristine Marie Bartz
Awards: President’s Medal; Sobey Scholar
Hometown: Oxford, Michigan
Major: Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering
Co-op: Nexteer Automotive
Post-graduation plans: 
Cybersecurity Engineer for Autonomous Vehicles (General Motors)

Ronni Alina Isham
Awards: President’s Medal; Sobey Scholar
Hometown: Lytle, Texas
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Co-op: Toyota
Post-graduation plans: Working in advanced driver assistance systems at the Toyota Arizona proving grounds. One day, she hopes to be a chief engineer.

Alan Yiding Xia
Awards: President’s Medal; Sobey Scholar
Hometown: Hudson, Ohio
Major: Mechanical Engineering with Automotive Specialty and Electrical Engineering
Co-op: Ford Motor Company
Post-graduation plans: Plans to finish a research project before pursuing a full-time job.

Laron Demetrius Burrows
Award: President’s Medal
Hometown: Freeport, Grand Bahama, The Bahamas
Major: Chemical Engineering
Co-op: DTE Engergy
Post-graduation plans: Full-time employment at DTE Energy as a chemical engineer supporting the power & industrial business sector. 

Justin Thomas Woodruff
Award: President’s Medal
Hometown: Grand Blanc, Michigan
Major: Biochemistry
Co-op: Hurley Medical Center
Post-graduation plans: Attend medical school at MSU College of Human Medicine 

Shawn Johnathan Rolle
Award: President’s Medal
Hometown: Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas
Major: Electrical Engineering
Co-op: OPS Solutions
Post-graduation plans: Currently working full time for OPS Solutions as an Integration Engineer, but has plans to get a master’s degree in Engineering in the future 

Micheal Rajni Thomas
Award: President’s Medal
Hometown: Clarendon, Jamaica
Major: Biochemistry
Co-op: Hurley Medical Center 
Post-graduation plans: Attend David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA 

Thomas Michael Cady
Award: President’s Medal
Hometown: Flushing, Michigan
Major: Electrical Engineering
Co-op: 4D Systems
Post-graduation plans: Plans to attend the University of Michigan Dearborn to purse his MSE in Electrical Engineering Fall 2017. 

Benjamin Kyle Fick
Award: Sobey Scholar
Hometown: Tecumseh, Michigan
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Co-op: Barnes Aerospace, Lansing and Red Viking: Manufacturing & Test Soluntions
Post-graduation plans: Working for Theta Xi Fraternity as a Leadership Consultant and considering graduate programs for engineering management 

Michael Daniel Graham
Award: Sobey Scholar
Hometown: Richmond, Michigan
Major: Industrial Engineering
Co-op: Sentio, LLC and Navistar, Inc.
Post-graduation plans: Pursuing a career in public policy 

Vanessa Marie Robinson
Award: Sobey Scholar
Hometown: Flushing, Michigan
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Co-op: Eaton Corporation 
Post-graduation plans: Product Engineering at Eaton Corporation 

Muhammad Ahsan Ghias
Award: Sobey Scholar
Hometown: Shelby Township, Michigan
Major: Bioinformatics
Co-op: Hurley Medical Center
Post-graduation plans: Taking a gap year between undergraduate and medical school to work for a biomedical company. 

Cody Robert Cochran
Award: Sobey Scholar
Hometown: Jackson, Michigan
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Co-op: Production Services Management, Inc.
Post-graduation plans: Continuing to work with Production Services Management  

Dominic Richard Doxen
Award: Sobey Scholar
Hometown: Clinton Township, Michigan
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Co-op: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA)
Post-graduation plans: Work at FCA in the Noise, Vibration, Harshness Department. 

Chadwin Olden Leroy Hanna Jr.
Award: Sobey Scholar
Hometown: Freeport, Grand Bahama, The Bahamas
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Co-op: Ethicon Endo-surgery in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Post-graduation plans: Will be working on engineering sustainable energy solutions for the Bahamas for the next year before starting medical school next fall.