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Young Alumni Philanthropy Council Announces Newest Class

September 23, 2021

To join the council, every member makes a monetary gift of $1,000 to the college to be pooled and awarded to the program(s) voted on by the council.

The 12 newest members of the Young Alumni Philanthropy Council

The 12 newest members of the Young Alumni Philanthropy Council

“I became an engineer as a way for me to use my strengths to make a positive impact on our planet through design and construction of infrastructure,” explains Jordan Haney (BSCE 2014; MSCE 2016) when asked about his desire to join the College of Engineering’s Young Alumni Philanthropy Council. “As a continuance of that, being able to focus on giving back through time and financial contributions also makes an impact on the communities we live in and serve.”  

Haney is one of 12 new members to join the Young Alumni Philanthropy Council’s newest membership class. The council was founded with 24 exceptional young alumni earlier this year, and together the growing group will serve as change agents for the benefit of engineering students, faculty and alumni. Their work will inspire and impact the future of UK Engineering.  

The prestigious group comprises UK engineering graduates under the age of 40. To join the council, every member makes a monetary gift of $1,000 to the college to be pooled and awarded to the program(s) voted on by the council. Members also mentor current engineering students, serve as alumni ambassadors and network with other young alumni professionals.  

The newest members of the council are eager to begin their work. For Taylor Perkins, this was a prime opportunity to get involved because “I feel like much of my professional success can be attributed to my time spent at the University of Kentucky College of Engineering. Across three degrees and 15 years, I’ve received a lot.”  

Likewise, Stephanie Sharp feels that every individual’s success can be attributed to those who supported and mentored them along the way. As a result, philanthropy can be “contagious, resulting in a more widespread effect when performed together.”  

The entire council will have the opportunity to spread build upon their enthusiasm and momentum on Friday, October 22, when they will meet for their first in-person meeting on campus. During the meeting, the council members will make funding decisions for their inaugural grants within the college. They will also network with members of the college’s Dean’s Advisory Council and Campaign Committee and meet with their student mentees and round out their time with an alumni tailgate at Keeneland the following day.  

Council members recognize the reward in the work upon which they are embarking. Angelo Stekardis shared that, “The most amazing characteristic of philanthropy is that it changes the world in a positive way at every level. Small actions can change one person's world and larger actions can change the world for all of us. It is my hope that, through my involvement on the Young Alumni Philanthropy Council, I can start on a similar course of positively impacting the lives of many current and future UK students.”  

The newest members are:

  • Finn Brutsman (BSME 2018), Pilot, U.S. Air Force
  • Shaina Cook (BSCHE 2018), Internal Logistics Project Engineer, Toyota
  • Benjamin Dixon (BSMAT 2017), Stamping Engineer, Toyota Motor North America
  • Jordan Haney (BSCE 2014; MSCE 2016), Director of Engineering Operations, Thoroughbred
  • Patrick Heeb (BSCE 2016), MBA candidate at Northwestern Kellogg School of Management
  • James Hinkel (BSCE 2019), Sales Engineer, Schneider Electric
  • Ashley Hood-Morley (BSCHE 2007), Strategic Initiatives Manager—Sustainability, Eastman Chemical Company
  • Amanda Marques (BSCHE 2017), Process and Facilities Engineer, Wacker Polysilicon North America
  • Will Mattingly (BSCE 2007), Senior Principal, Stantec
  • Taylor Perkins (BSCE 2007; MSCE 2008; Ph.D. CE 2017), Senior Structural Engineer, Stantec
  • Stephanie Sharp (BSCE 2015), Staff Engineer, Bacon Farmer Workman, Engineering & Testing, Inc.
  • Angelo Stekardis (BSCOE 2017), Senior Computer Vision Engineer, Rivian  

For more information about the Young Alumni Philanthropy Council, please contact Christie Priddy.