Purdue Polytechnic Institute celebrated a legacy of alumni excellence at the 2026 Technology Appreciation and Alumni Awards on April 17, honoring 14 graduates who have made significant impacts in their respective fields.
The annual ceremony recognizes alumni across three categories: Early Career, Outstanding Technology Alumni, and Distinguished Technology Alumni.
Daniel Castro, dean of Purdue Polytechnic, opened the event by connecting the achievements of the alumni to the ongoing success of the college and its current students.
"Your accomplishments create a virtuous cycle, because it inspires new students to get their degree here, with us," Castro said. "Those students go on to even greater achievements as technology advances, all because they were inspired by the giant leaps of those who came before."
The highest honor of the night, the Distinguished Technology Alumni Award, was presented to three individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary professional achievements:
- Mark Fields, Group President of Strategic Projects for Fluor Corporation, was recognized for his extensive experience leading international megaprojects in the energy and chemical sectors across 30 different countries.
- Matthew Reiland, Technical Director of Automation Innovation at Komatsu, was honored for his work in robotics and automation, including 19 patents and a three-year assignment assisting in the software development of Robonaut-2 for the International Space Station.
- Nancy Sherlock-Walker, a retired Electrical Engineer who spent 30 years driving innovation at Intel Corporation, was recognized for her expertise in critical applications supporting manufacturing production floors.
Five alumni received the Outstanding Technology Alumni Award, recognizing those who graduated 10 or more years ago and have made significant impacts in their fields while maintaining involvement with the Purdue community:
- Amy Boyle, Vice President for Human Resources at Purdue University
- Asia Coffee, Senior Interior Designer at Schmidt Associates
- Chris Durnil, Purchasing Manager at Bowen Engineering Corporation
- Matthew High, Director of Energy & Utilities at Purdue University
- Alex Miller, Chief Technology Officer for the U.S. Army
Six recent graduates were honored with the Early Career Award, which recognizes alumni who have graduated within the last 10 years and illustrate the promise of becoming leaders among their peers:
- Sakhi Aggrawal, Senior Technical Program Manager at Google
- Denis Bershevits, Advisor in Cybersecurity Architecture at Eli Lilly and Company
- Cooper Burleson, Mission Integration and Operations Supervisor for NASA's MTIC Contract
- Kyle Potter, Director of Preconstruction & Design at Thompson Thrift Development
- Patrick Scott, Director of Construction at Lennar Homes
- Austin Riegsecker, Chief Engineer of EMW Cloud Solutions for the U.S. Navy
Castro concluded the evening by thanking the alumni network and the Dean's Advisory Council for their continued support, noting that the college received more than $26 million in total gifts in the last academic year and distributed nearly $857,000 in endowed scholarships.
"Everyone in Purdue Polytechnic's incredible talent pool-our alumni, our students, our faculty and staff-is lifted up by this support," Castro said. "Your continuing belief in Purdue Polytechnic's merit and prestige allows us to do more life-changing research, and to teach new generations of bright students how to come out of Purdue industry ready, day one."
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