2026 Stevens Alumni Award Recipient

The Stevens Alumni Award recognizes and shows appreciation for alumni who have made a lasting impact on the Stevens community. This prestigious award is granted each year to a Stevens graduate who has exhibited an enduring commitment and devotion to Stevens. The 2026 Stevens Alumni Award will be bestowed at Alumni Weekend on June 6, 2026.

Wayne R. Monsees ’71 M.Eng. ’72 MMS ’78

2026 Stevens Alumni Award

Considering his Stevens credentials and longstanding commitment to the university, it is a bit surprising to find out that Wayne R. Monsees ’71 M.Eng. ’72 MMS ’78 might not have learned about Stevens at all, had it not been for a family friend, Thomas Fleisher ’63.

When asked about the memories that stand out from his student years, Monsees sweeps past receiving his first diploma to the time a fellow student fell asleep in his first-year physics class. “The interaction between the professor and the student was one for the ages,” he recalls with a laugh.

Monsees filled the time between classes and study with a variety of activities, including the IEEE Student Branch and the IEEE Metropolitan Student Council. In fact, he held leadership positions in both and was named an IEEE Outstanding Student Branch Member in 1970. Participation in the Association for Computing Machinery, the Radio Club, the Camera Club, the Inter-Dormitory Council and the inter-class lacrosse program rounded out his student days.

Monsees’ career began at the RCA Government Communications System Division, where he designed and developed SHF up-converters for the USASATCOMA Small Satellite Communications Ground Station Program. He followed with designing and analyzing transmission systems for satellite and terrestrial networks for RCA Global Communications and RCA American Communications.

At the Western Union Telegraph Company, Monsees managed and directed system design projects for the Westar and Advanced Westar Communication Satellite System, before joining Lockheed Martin Astro Space, Martin Marietta Astro Space, General Electric Astro Space and RCA Astro Electronics. During this period of his career Monsees’ projects included managing all aspects of the C- and K-Band payload systems in-orbit and under construction for Americom’s Satcom Program as well as design, development and qualification of the Communications Subsystem and RF equipment associated with the two hundred watt-per-channel Direct Broadcast System spacecraft built for Comsat’s Satellite Television Corporation.

Monsees then joined L3 Communication Systems – East, Lockheed Martin Communications Systems Space Communications Business Area where he managed the final assembly, protoflight/acceptance testing, delivery and on-orbit operations support of the solid-state recorder systems for the EOS-Terra spacecraft and the Landsat 7 spacecraft. He also managed the TIROS/NOAA Recorder program for hardware delivery, spacecraft integration and test support and on-orbit operations support for both solid-state and tape recorders. He secured and led L3’s participation in the Phase 1 Transformational Communications Architecture study contract with Spectrum Astro which also provided significant supporting information for the Information Assurance Business Area’s pursuit of encryption equipment on the next generation military satellites. Monsees closed his career leading proposal and negotiations teams at L3 Communication Systems – East Information Assurance Business Area.

“I enjoyed all aspects of the space and communications industry,” he says. “I directed the manufacturing, test and delivery of three commercial direct broadcast satellites, digital recorders for Landsat, EOS and TIROS earth resource satellites and S/TAR Digital Recorders for F/A-18 aircraft and communications elements for Space Station.”

Monsees’ accolades include being named an AIAA Associate Fellow (1970) and an IEEE Senior Member (1985). He received the RCA Authors/Inventors Award in 1984. His publications include Application of Spacecraft Technologies to Direct Broadcast Satellite Payloads (AIAA-CSSC-84), Digital Speech Interpolation Applications for Domestic Satellite Communication (NTC-79) and Program Channel Broadcasts Through Satellites (ITC-77).

Throughout his career and now, in retirement, Monsees has been generous with his involvement in the Stevens alumni community. In 1981, he received the Harold R. Fee 1920 Alumni Achievement Award. Among his various roles, he has served on the Strategic Plan Development and Hall of Achievement Committees, served on and chaired the Stevens Awards Committee, chaired the Central New Jersey Alumni Club and served as treasurer of the Stevens Alumni Association (SAA). He has even manned the phones during telethons. He is currently serving on the SAA Board of Directors.

Still, he sees receiving the Stevens Alumni Award as particularly special. “The number of alumni who could have been selected is a bit humbling,” he says. “Getting it on the 150th anniversary of the SAA and just a few days before the anniversary of the university’s first alumni day adds to the honor.”

Monsees remains enthusiastic about supporting the Stevens Honor System, the President’s Distinguished Lecture Series and the Systems Engineering department, with particular interest in the university’s space systems engineering program.

“I feel a need and desire to perpetuate the recognition of Stevens so that those who follow me may have the same opportunity to learn,” Monsees says. “Alumni help the future alumni understand what the university is about.”