CSC News

Three Alumni Inducted into the CSC Alumni Hall of Fame Alongside Two “Rising Stars”

Three inductees entered the NC State Computer Science (CSC) Alumni Hall of Fame at the Park Alumni Center on November 7, 2024, joining an outstanding group of alumni making powerful strides in their fields.

The CSC Alumni Hall of Fame was established in 2017 to recognize computer science alumni who have made significant contributions in their respective specialties. Inductees are recognized based on professional achievement, entrepreneurship, community service and service to the computer science discipline and body of knowledge. The addition of three new members in 2024 brings the total number recognized with this distinction to 62 out of over 11,000 computer science alumni.

CSC Department Head Dr. Gregg Rothermel praised the event and program for its power in highlighting exceptional graduates. “The Alumni Hall of Fame event is one of the highlights of the year in the Computer Science Department.  It’s an opportunity to recognize and celebrate our talented alumni. I’m always amazed when I read their biographies, and CVs and hear about their accomplishments, it gives me confidence in our program and curriculum, and it makes me want to share their accomplishments far and wide,” said Dr. Rothermel. 

In addition to being recognized at the ceremony, Hall of Fame inductees are now featured on a permanent display on the third floor of Engineering Building 2 (EB2.) The Alumni Hall of Fame display contains an interactive component that is also accessible online here.  Pictures from this year's event can be found here.

The 2024 CSC Alumni Hall of Fame inductees include:

• E. Michael Maximilien (MS 2002, PhD 2005) – Distinguished Engineer & CTO at IBM Cloud Labs. Profile
• Bradford Mott (BS 1994, MS 1996, PhD 2006) – Senior Research Scientist at NC State University (not pictured).  Profile 
• Kristopher L. Tyra (BS 1986) – Vice President of Research and Development at ShareFile.  Profile

In addition to the Hall of Fame inductees, two computer science alumni ‘Rising Stars’ were recognized at the event. The ‘Rising Star’ program recognizes alumni making a significant impact at earlier stages of their careers (fewer than ten years out from graduation.) 

 The 2024 recipients of the ‘Rising Star’ awards are:

• DeShawn Brown (BS 2014) – Founder & CEO at Lithios Apps, Founder & Chief Innovator at Coworks
• Shubham Saloni (MSCN 2017) – Wireless Engineering Lead at Meter

In pursuit of and beyond their impressive accomplishments on paper, this year’s inductees and ‘Rising Star’ award recipients have carried their NC State experiences with them at each step of their careers. 

“Coming from India to NC State as an international student with big dreams, it feels like a full circle now to be recognized in this way. This honor is not just a personal achievement—it represents all the support, guidance, and opportunities that helped me along the way. It’s a privilege to be part of such a distinguished group, and this recognition inspires me to do even better, continue making an impact, and give back to the university that helped shape a part of who I am today,” said Saloni on the impact of receiving the award this year.

Leslie Rand-Pickett, CSC’s Interim Director of Engagement and External and Corporate Relations, highlighted the notability of the recent and experienced graduates. “The group of alumni recognized this year are accomplished leaders, entrepreneurs, inventors, and researchers who are making a difference for others using their technical abilities. It makes our department proud to know they are members of the Wolfpack.” 

NC State Computer Science continues producing graduates who think, do, and strive for innovation with an impact, and the Alumni Hall of Fame is one way the department showcases exemplary graduates and their accomplishments each year.  

If interested in nominating an outstanding graduate for future consideration, please visit the CSC Alumni Hall of Fame page, linked here.

~headley~