The Department of Mechanical Engineering’s External Advisory Board brings together accomplished alumni and industry leaders whose expertise spans aerospace, healthcare, energy, advanced manufacturing, robotics and infrastructure systems.
Drawing on experience across engineering, research, operations and executive leadership, the advisory board provides strategic guidance that helps strengthen the department’s programs, priorities and impact.
Mark Biamonte '01
Product Line Director for Environmental and Thermal Control Systems, Collins Aerospace
Mark Biamonte has more than 25 years of experience in the aerospace industry at RTX. He currently serves as Product Line Director for Environmental and Thermal Control Systems at Collins Aerospace in Windsor Locks, Connecticut. In this role, he is responsible for the full product life cycle of systems that pressurize and condition cabin air, provide ice protection for wings and engine cowls, inert fuel tanks, and cool electronic equipment across commercial and military platforms.
Mark earned a Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Computer Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology in 2001. He also received a Master of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Connecticut in 2007 and a Graduate Certificate in Systems Engineering from Stevens in 2011. In addition, he completed the Executive Leadership Program at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business.
Jim Breen '83
Vice President Project Development, J&J Innovative Medicines at Johnson & Johnson
Jim is presently Vice President Project Development, J&J Innovative Medicines at Johnson & Johnson.
Jim has worked for Johnson & Johnson for over 25 years in roles such as Biologics Expansion Program, VP Worldwide Engineering & Technical Operations (WWETO) and VP Network Management. Jim joined J&J in 1997 in Shanghai, China and has progressed through a variety of roles in project management, network management, real estate, facility management, manufacturing and engineering.
Prior to J&J, Jim was employed by General Electric and Hercules Inc. in both domestic and international assignments in manufacturing, project management and engineering.
Jim is presently an adjunct professor at Drexel University in the Engineering Department teaching graduate courses in Engineering and Construction Management.
Jim is past Chairman of the Board for the International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE). Jim is a member of the Board of Advisors for the Schaeffer Engineering School at Stevens Institute of Technology.
Jim earned his Bachelor of Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology, MBA from Drexel University and Master of Engineering in Technology Management from University of Pennsylvania. He is a registered Professional Engineer and LEED AP.
Richard Byrd '93
Executive Vice President and President, Interventional Segment, Becton, Dickinson and Company
Richard Byrd serves as executive vice president and president of the Interventional Segment of BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), a leading global medical technology company headquartered in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey. In this role, he is responsible for driving the global operational, commercial, and financial performance of the three business units that comprise the Interventional Segment, including BD Peripheral Intervention, BD Surgery, and BD Urology and Critical Care. He is also a member of the BD Executive Leadership Team. Byrd most recently served as the worldwide president of BD Medication Delivery Solutions within the Medical segment. In that role, Byrd advanced BD’s leadership in Vascular Access Management, completing the integration of the Bard portfolio and driving a strong innovation pipeline.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, he oversaw BD’s role in enabling global COVID-19 vaccination campaigns, including commitments of more than two billion injection devices worldwide. He also advanced BD’s “One-Stick Hospital Stay” vision to eliminate multiple needlesticks for inpatients and drive a new standard of care in vascular health. Since joining BD in 2004, Byrd has demonstrated a proven track record of leveraging his strength in technology and innovation to drive growth while prioritizing customers’ needs, delivering operational efficiencies, and developing talent across the globe. He previously held leadership roles within the BD Life Sciences segment and Research and Development. Byrd earned a master's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Tech.
Jennifer Field M.Eng ’12, Ph.D. ‘19
JHU APL Engineering, Senior Professional Staff II, System Modeling, Evaluation, & Planning Group (KFA)
Jennifer Field earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering at the College of New Jersey. During her undergraduate career, she was a research fellow with the National Science Foundation, and also served as President of her collegiate chapter of the Society of Women Engineers. She continued her education at Stevens Institute of Technology, receiving a Master’s of Engineering degree, before continuing onward to earn her Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, with a concentration in Robotics and Control.
During her graduate career, Jennifer was a research fellow with New Jersey’s Space Grant Consortium, National Science Foundation’s GK12 program, and served as a graduate student advisor for the Stevens Mechanical Engineering Department. She received several awards for her involvement in curriculum development, student research laboratory management and for the instruction of several core Mechanical Engineering undergraduate and graduate courses. Her research focused on developing control system frameworks for multi-actuated dynamical systems.
Upon graduation, Jennifer joined Naval Sea Systems Command, where she worked in the Unmanned Undersea Systems branch at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division. During her tenure at Carderock, Jennifer served as the Design Integration Manager for Autonomy, project manager on a multidisciplinary research study, and technical authority for autonomy-related guidance. Jennifer was the Principal Investigator for projects related to Trusted Autonomy, and served as a subject matter expert on robotics, controls, and autonomy. Beginning in 2026, Jennifer moved careers to Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, where she currently serves as an analyst for various accuracy-related projects under the Navy’s Strategic Systems Programs (SSP). She also continues to serves as a mentor and science advisor for various programs, while also serving as a judge for RoboNation competitions.
Claire Griffin '16
Program Manager & Senior Engineer, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Shipboard Instrumentation and Systems Calibration Aircraft Carrier Program
Claire is a Senior Mechanical Engineer at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Philadelphia Division, within the Shipboard Instrumentation and Systems Calibration (SISCAL) department. In her work, she has collaborated with technical experts, active duty sailors, governmental representatives, and a variety of other entities to ensure that all systems installed onboard US Navy ships are properly calibrated and maintained by providing technical and programmatic support. She has been the Program Manager for the Aircraft Carrier SISCAL program since 2018, working to support the Aircraft Carrier fleet in regard to calibration needs, installed instrumentation documentation, and overall system health. In her time working for the US Navy, she has worked aboard over 70 ships, including every aircraft carrier in the fleet. Claire graduated from Stevens in 2016 with a B.Eng. in Mechanical Engineering with a concentration in Robotics and a minor in Science Communication.
Mahantesh Hiremath
CoFounder and CSO, Kadropic Labs
Dr. Mahantesh Hiremath has over 30 years of wide range of industry experience – space, energy, transportation, and infrastructure. He is among handful in the world to have designed and analyzed complex systems in four environments – deep underground strategic petroleum reserves, offshore oil platforms, high-rise buildings, and high-flying geosynchronous satellites.
Dr. Hiremath served as 140th President of American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) for term 2021-22. He is the first Asian and Indian to be selected for this honor. He has been Invited Speaker and Panel Participant at prestigious international conferences.
Dr. Hiremath is a recipient of the 2023 College of Engineering Distinguished Alumni Award from The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio. Earlier, he held several important positions at Spinlaunch, Space Systems Loral (SSL), ARES Corporation, Northrop Grumman, and Stellar Solutions.
Dr. Hiremath is a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). He was also selected as ASME’s Congressional Fellow and in 2013-14 served on the Capitol Hill as Technical Advisor to the Science, Space and Technology Committee of the US House of Representatives. He is an Adjunct Faculty in Civil and Mechanical Engineering at Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, California. Dr. Hiremath received his M.S. and Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio. Later, Dr. Hiremath earned the Certificate in Systems Engineering from Stanford University.
Dr. Hiremath is an avid follower of current events and sports and has completed 6 San Francisco marathons.
Calvin Kinsel, Jr. '77
Director, Nuclear Engineering Management, Aecon Engineering Services (AESI), Inc., an Aecon Company
Calvin “Cal” Kinsel joined United Engineers and Constructors Inc., an AESI legacy company as a Mechanical Systems Engineer supporting nuclear projects in 1977 after receiving a B.E. in Mechanical Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, NJ. In 1989, was first assigned as a project engineering manager and through 2005 managed multi-discipline engineering and design teams associated with the design and construction as well as the modification and maintenance of nuclear and fossil power plants as well as metal industry facilities, all within AESI legacy companies.
In 2002, Kinsel received his MS in Engineering Management from Drexel University. In 2006 he left project engineering management and took a functional position responsible for all Mechanical Engineering work processes and staff development within what was the Engineering and Construction division of AECOM, another AESI legacy company. In September 2019, Kinsel was named director of Nuclear Engineering Management responsible for the nuclear program and work processes that govern nuclear services work performed within AESI, a position he maintains in 2026 although he is slowly working toward retirement. In 2022, coincident with the role as director, Kinsel took a position as project engineering manager on a project to develop the conceptual and preliminary design of a Small Modular Sodium Reactor for ARC Technologies.
Patrick Marks '91
Director of Engineering Services, Applied Equipment Business of Johnson Controls
Patrick (Pat) Marks, P.E. is currently the Director of Engineering Services for the Applied Equipment Business of Johnson Controls in New Freedom, Pennsylvania.
In this position, Pat manages global teams of engineers responsible for structural analysis, acoustics and vibration, regulatory compliance, component level heat transfer and system modeling and analysis (ModSim) for Applied HVAC equipment, including chillers and air-handling products. Pat has been with JCI for over 22 years, starting as a Product Engineer in Acoustics and Vibration and has held positions of increasing responsibility within chiller engineering. Pat has worked as lead acoustics engineer on several major development projects, including the YMC2. Prior to JCI, Pat had 10 years of engineering experience with Intertek, Carrier, Nelson Industries and Lewis S. Goodfriend & Associates, an acoustical consulting engineering firm in New Jersey.
Pat received a Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey, a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Mississippi State University and a Master of Business Administration from Eastern University in Saint David’s, Pennsylvania. Pat is a registered Professional Engineer in Pennsylvania and holds ten patents related to HVAC/R system technology (2 with JCI) and has twelve publications on HVAC/R acoustics, seismic applications and refrigerants.
He is currently a Director at Large on the ASHRAE Board of Directors and a voting member of the Technology Council. He is also a member and Chair of the AHRI Standards Committee and the AHRI Technical Committee on Sound and a past chair of both ASHRAE Technical Committee 2.6 (Sound and Vibration) and ASHRAE Technical Committee 2.7 (Seismic and Wind Resistant Design). Pat is an ASHRAE Fellow, an ASHRAE Distinguished Service Award winner and a winner of the AHRI Richard Schultze Award for excellence in Standards Development and the 2026 AHRI Standards Achievement Award. Pat also serves on the External Advisory Board for the Mechanical Engineering Department at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey.
Carlton Peters '99
Chief Technologist, Goddard Space Flight Center, Engineering and Technology Directorate
Mr. Peters started his career in heat transfer within the Thermal Engineering Branch at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) shortly after receiving his Bachelor of Engineering Degree in Mechanical Engineering with a concentration on Heat Transfer from Stevens Institute of Technology in 1999. Presently Mr. Peters serves as Chief Technologist of the Engineering and Technology Directorate (ETD) and Office Chief for the New Business, Partnerships and Technology Infusion Office within the directorate where he is responsible for providing technology leadership to meet the strategic mission and vision for NASA, GSFC and ETD through collaborations with external partners that leverage both ETD and external capabilities while advancing emerging and strategic impactful engineering capabilities.
He previously served as the Chief of the Mechanical Systems Division within ETD from September 2024 to September 2025. Prior to that, Mr. Peters served as an Associate Division Chief in the Instrument Systems and Technology Division from June of 2021 to September 2024. Prior to this role, Mr. Peters supported the Thermal Engineering Branch where he led the thermal design and thermal subsystem for several instrument and spacecraft developments. This includes the Anti-Coincidence Detector (ACD) on the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) instrument successfully flown on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), the Global Precipitation Measurement Mission (GPM) thermal system, the Thermal System Lead for the Wide-Field Infrared Space Telescope (WFIRST) mission and most recently served as the Lucy Mission Thermal System Lead (2018) into Phase B of mission development. Mr. Peters has worked all phases of missions in his time at GSFC from phase A to Phase E including formulation, design, development, Integration and Test as well as launch and early operations for both in-house and out-of-house developments.
In addition to these roles, Mr. Peters served on the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) industry-wide Passive Thermal Technical Discipline Team that is chartered with assessing thermal technologies, risks and trends across the discipline.
From 2011 through June of 2021, Mr. Peters supported the Thermal Engineering Branch in a management capacity when he served as an Associate Branch Head and served as the Thermal Engineering Branch Head from late 2016 to June 2021.
Regina Pynn '11 M. Eng. '11
Sr. Product Manager for Additive Manufacturing, Hexcel
Regina Pynn is Sr. Product Manager for Additive Manufacturing at Hexcel. In this role, she has responsibility for industry and customer relationships, including NCAMP qualification, entry into service on the F-35 platform, and commercial customer adoption. She also manages next-generation materials development and design-for-producibility services. Hexcel is a leader in advanced composite materials for aerospace and defense, and the HexPEKK® material family is an industry leader in flightworthy, high-performance thermoplastic Powder Bed Laser Fusion (PBLF) 3D printing. Before joining Hexcel in 2017, Regina worked for UTAS, where she led development through Entry Into Service activities for hydromechanical and electromechanical control systems on commercial and defense platforms. Regina holds a B.Eng. from Stevens in Mechanical Engineering and an M.E. from Stevens in Systems Engineering.
Raymond C. Rossi PE '65
Chief Mechanical Engineer (Retired)
Raymond C. Rossi, P.E., is a retired mechanical engineering executive with more than 50 years of experience in the power generation industry. Throughout his career, he provided engineering leadership for major power plant projects in the United States and internationally, supporting technologies including nuclear, coal, oil, natural gas, hydroelectric, fluidized bed and combined-cycle generation.
Rossi held progressive leadership roles including Lead Mechanical Engineer, Project Engineer, Project Manager and Chief Mechanical Engineer. His expertise spans mechanical systems design, plant and piping layouts, equipment specification, piping materials selection, pipe stress analysis, engineering standards, code compliance and multidisciplinary project management. As Chief Mechanical Engineer, he oversaw engineering personnel, established departmental standards and procedures, and provided final technical approval for major mechanical system designs. A licensed Professional Engineer in numerous states and Puerto Rico, Rossi earned a Bachelor of Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Science in Management from Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute.
Joe Yaccarino '88
President/CEO, MTF Biologics
Joe Yaccarino has served as President and CEO of MTF Biologics since June 2018. Joining MTF in 1997 as its first processing engineer, he developed a broad spinal graft portfolio and later oversaw processing operations, engineering, distribution, logistics, supply chain, and product development. His leadership supported more than 25 product launches and advances in tissue technologies. A New Jersey native, he holds engineering and MBA degrees from Stevens Institute of Technology and Penn State.