Five former student-athletes have been inducted into Rensselaer’s Athletic Hall of Fame. The Class of 2001 includes men’s basketball player Aaron Bedard ’91, women’s basketball player Kim Kalajainen ’90, men’s hockey player Dino Serra ’77, football player Mike Soucy ’95, and men’s swimmer Al Stokke ’43.

Upon graduating in 1991, Aaron Bedard ’91 was Rensselaer’s career leader in assists (362), third in scoring (1,107), third in steals (208) and 10th in rebounding (472). The team’s captain as a junior and senior, he was a two-time All-Conference selection as well as the conference Player of the Year in 1990-91. In his final two seasons, Bedard led the team to a combined record of 38-14, including the school’s best record since 1945 in 1990-91. That season RPI finished with an overall record of 20-5, including 18 straight victories, and competed in the NCAA Tournament. A clutch player, Bedard is considered one of the best all-around players to ever play at Rensselaer.

Kim Kalajainen ’90, a guard, was a four-year starter who averaged 7.8 points with 314 assists and 97 steals in her 92-game career. As a freshman she was named the team’s Most Valuable Player after ranking third on the team in scoring (11.1), first in assists (78), and first in steals (45). She would go on to lead the team in assists, and rank among the leaders on the team in both points and steals, in each of the next three seasons. In Kalajainen’s four years, RPI posted an overall record of 60-37.

Dino Serra ’77 played four years on the Division I varsity hockey team, serving as co-captain as a senior. That year he led the team in scoring with 23 goals and 46 assists for 69 points. His 46 assists currently rank fifth in school history for a single season. Serra ranked third on the team in points as a junior (21 goals, 23 assists) and as a freshman (12 goals, 23 assists), when he was named the school’s Freshman Athlete of the Year (1973-74). As a sophomore, Serra only played 10 games (6 goals, 10 assists) due to injuries. In his career, Serra compiled 102 assists to rank 11th in school history and 164 points, which places him 12th all-time. In his four years with the Engineers, RPI had a 58-53-5 record.

Mike Soucy ’95 is considered by many to be the greatest defensive end to ever play for the Rensselaer football team. After seeing significant time as a freshman, he started the next three years and captained the team as a junior and senior. He was a two-time All-American and a three-time All-Conference and All-League honoree. Twice he was chosen as the team’s defensive Most Valuable Player. Soucy holds three RPI records, including sacks in a game (6.5 in 1991), sacks in a season (14 in 1991), and sacks in a career (34.5). He led the team with 93 tackles as a sophomore and amassed 135 primary tackles and 119 assisted hits for 254 total tackles in his career. In 1994-95, following his senior season, he was chosen as RPI’s Athlete of the Year.

Al Stokke ’43, often called the “iron man” of the swim team, swam both in distances and on relays in the early 1940s. He held the school records in the 200 and 400 and was the leading scorer on the team for two consecutive seasons. A captain as a senior, he also set several records in other school’s pools. In addition to being one of the top swimmers in RPI history, he was also elected the school’s Grand Marshal as a junior.

Bedard, Kalajainen, Serra, Soucy, and Stokke were honored at Rensselaer’s Annual Hall of Fame Banquet on April 21.

Election to the NAE is among the highest professional distinctions accorded an engineer, honoring those who have made “important contributions to engineering theory and practice” and those who have demonstrated “unusual accomplishment in the pioneering of new and developing fields of technology,” according to NAE President William Wulf.

Montoya was elected by the Academy for “environmental and organizational leadership in both the U.S. Navy and public power sector while maintaining total dedication to societal values.”

Montoya retired in October 2000 after seven years as CEO of Public Service Co. of New Mexico (PNM). At his retirement, business and community leaders in Albuquerque, N.M., dedicated a bronze statue of St. Francis of Assisi in his honor. Montoya became a regular contributor to community affairs and kept PNM a home-owned business with its headquarters in New Mexico, according to the Albuquerque Journal.

Montoya served a distinguished and decorated 31-year career in the U.S. Navy, rising to the rank of rear admiral, and culminating as commander, Naval Facilities Engineering Command and Chief of Civil Engineers.

Among his numerous honors are the Distinguished Service Medal, the Navy Commendation Medal, the Navy Achievement Medal, the Bronze Star (Vietnam), and the Legion of Merit. He received the U.S. Hispanic Engineer of the Year Award in 1989.

Montoya graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1958, earned his B.S. in civil engineering from Rensselaer in 1960, a master’s in sanitary engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology in 1968, and a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1981.

Montoya and his wife, Virginia, have seven children and 11 grandchildren.

“I am honored to be named to the Board of Trustees. I am looking forward to being a part of the changes that are taking place under the Rensselaer Plan. President Jackson is a new energy for the Institute and her goal of establishing a strength in biotechnology overlaps nicely with my professional focus,” said Mullen.

Mullen was appointed president and chief executive officer of Biogen, a global biopharmaceutical company and the world’s oldest independent biotechnology company, in June 2000. He is also a member of the board of directors. Mullen joined Biogen as director, facilities and engineering, in 1989 and was named vice president, operations, in 1992. From 1996-1999, Mullen served as vice president, international, with responsibility for building all Biogen operations outside North America. He was named president and chief operating officer in January 1999.

During his 11-year tenure at Biogen, Mullen has been credited with significant accomplishments. As vice president, operations, he laid the manufacturing and distribution groundwork to launch AVONEX® (Interferon beta-la), Biogen’s flagship product for treatment of relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis, and he successfully oversaw the creation of Biogen’s manufacturing capability in both Cambridge, Mass., and Research Triangle Park, N.C. As vice president, international, Mullen was the key Biogen executive responsible for the successful registration and launch of AVONEX throughout Europe. Mullen is credited with creating Biogen’s direct sales organization in Europe, the largest in the biotechnology industry.

From 1980 to 1989, Mullen held a variety of manufacturing and engineering positions at SmithKline Beckman (now SmithKline Beecham), including director of engineering. He holds a B.S. in chemical engineering from Rensselaer and an MBA from Villanova University.

Furman joined Harris in 1982. For the past nine years, he has been the principal architect for the advanced radio waveforms in RFCD’s Tactical High Frequency (HF) Radio products, including the very successful Falcon family of radios.

Prior to joining RFCD, Furman spent nine years with Harris’s Government Communications System Division in Palm Bay, Fla., developing a series of highly reliable modems for transmitting low data rate information over disadvantaged HF radio channels using advanced modulation techniques.

Furman is considered one of the main forces in the development of military communications standards and has been a driver in standardizing many of these advanced waveforms and modulation techniques. He has published numerous technical papers, received patents, and received a number of awards. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering at Rensselaer.

In his research, Berque has focused on the design and development of computer-supported cooperative work, and has designed “groupware” that uses electronic whiteboards and pen-based computers to enhance the way teachers and students share written information during class. For the past six years he has been working on a prototype of a groupware system called DEBBIE (DePauw Electronic Black Board for Interactive Education), which has gained recognition and acclaim in the national media. He was recognized in 1997 by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as the Outstanding Baccalaureate Colleges United States Professor of the Year.

University Professorships, announced annually at DePauw, are designed to recognize faculty accomplishments and support faculty development, providing time and resources that encourage research that leads to better teaching and a more vibrant intellectual atmosphere at the university.

Berque earned his B.A. at Haverford College, and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees at Rensselaer.

“I am confident that Erin Crotty’s extensive experience and her demonstrated commitment to the environment and natural resources will build on [her predecessor’s] impressive record,” the Governor said.

Since October 1999, Crotty had been director of state and local government relations for Plug Power of Latham. Plug Power is a leading designer and developer of on-site, electricity generation systems utilizing fuel cell technology for residential applications.

Prior to joining Plug Power, Crotty served two years as deputy commissioner for Water Quality and Environmental Remediation at DEC, where she was responsible for overseeing the state’s programs to clean up contaminated properties, implementation of the $1.75 billion Clean Water/Clean Air Bond Act and all activities impacting New York’s water quality. As deputy commissioner, Crotty is credited with crafting the legislation proposed by Governor Pataki to reform and refinance the State Superfund program.

Prior to 1997, Crotty also served as Governor Pataki’s director of special environmental projects, where she was involved in the negotiation and development of the historic New York City Watershed Agreement and implementation of the 1996 Clean Water/Clean Air Bond Act. Before joining the Pataki administration, Crotty held the position of policy analyst for the New York State Senate Commission on Toxic Substances and Hazardous Wastes.

Crotty earned her bachelor’s degree from Russell Sage College in 1988 and a master’s in urban and environmental studies from Rensselaer in 1992.