After much deliberation and planning, department leadership proudly inducted the 2025 class of the ECE Hall of Fame at a gala celebration held in Malachowsky Hall on Monday, April 21. Sachio Semmoto Chair of ECE Mark Tehranipoor led the celebration—joined by members of the inaugural class of the Hall of Fame and luminaries from the ECE Florida family—to celebrate the induction of four Electrical & Computer Engineering alumni to this august group.
The celebration also marked the launch of the ECE Distinguished Alumni Award program. Five remarkable ECE alumni in four categories were honored.
ECE Hall of Fame
The ECE Hall of Fame was established to recognize distinguished achievement in the field of electrical or computer engineering. Members may have distinguished themselves with significant and impactful inventions, important research or design, influential business and institutional leadership, and a demonstrated commitment to ECE, the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, and the University of Florida. Hall of Fame membership is the highest honor bestowed upon an alumnus/a by the department. Awards will be presented annually.
Steve Blum | Steve Blum (BSEE ‘87) is the executive vice president and chief operating officer of Autodesk. In his role, Blum leads go-to-market strategy and operations as Autodesk transforms how the world is designed and made, overseeing all teams responsible for sales, marketing, customer success, digital platforms, and customer experience. Blum holds a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from the University of Florida. |
Manuel Fernandez | Manuel Fernandez (BSEE ‘67) has been the managing director of SI Ventures, a venture capital firm focusing on IT and communications infrastructure since its inception in 1998. He served on the President’s Information Technology Advisory Committee under President George W. Bush. He also served as chairman of the UF Board of Trustees from 2003 to 2007 and is the recipient of an entrepreneur of the year award. Fernandez holds a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from the University of Florida (UF), and completed post-graduate work in solid-state engineering at UF. |
James Spoto | James Spoto (BSEE ‘73, MSEE ‘74) is a seasoned executive with 40 years of experience shaping the semiconductor and electronic design automation (EDA) landscapes. He began his career at Harris Semiconductor, pioneering radiation-hardened analog and mixed-signal IC design, and rose to direct their EDA engineering. From Harris, he outsourced people and EDA technology to build the Cadence Analog Division from the ground up, driving its dominance in custom IC EDA tools as vice president of engineering. Spoto holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Florida. |
Steve Yatauro | Steve Yatauro (BSEE ‘89) is the president of ExxonMobil Pipeline Company LLC (EMPCo), a role he has held since 2020. EMPCo is dedicated to the safe, efficient, and environmentally responsible transportation of energy. The company manages the transportation of crude oil, refined products, liquefied petroleum gases, natural gas liquids, CO₂, and chemical feedstocks through more than 4,000 miles of pipelines. Yatauro earned a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from the University of Florida in 1989. |
Distinguished Alumni Awards
The Distinguished Young Alumni Award recognizes alumni, aged 40 or under, who have risen rapidly in their chosen field, or who have made outstanding contributions through civic and social activities. The award also recognizes qualities of integrity and leadership based upon their achievements since graduation.
The Distinguished Alumni Award for Academic Excellence recognizes alumni for significant achievement in an academic setting with an emphasis on teaching, research or other contributions to education.
The Distinguished Alumni Award for Entrepreneurship and Innovation recognizes alumni for significant achievement in research, design, creation or ideation of an original idea or concept, or achievements in a startup or self-made business.
The Distinguished Alumni Award for Career Achievement recognizes alumni for significant achievement in business or institutional leadership and/or professional accomplishments.
Jim MartzDistinguished Alumni Award for Young Alumni  | Jim Martz (BSEE ‘09) received the Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering in 2009. He is senior vice president of engineering at Vast, a privately-held aerospace company working to develop artificial gravity space stations. |
R.C. GonzalezDistinguished Alumni Award for Academics  | R. C. Gonzalez, Ph.D. (ME ‘67, Ph.D. ‘70), received the Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from the University of Miami in 1965 and the Master of Engineering and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Florida in 1967 and 1970, respectively. |
Bud DeffebachDistinguished Alumni Award for Entrepreneurship  | Bud Deffebach (BSEE ‘88) earned a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering in 1988 from the University of Florida and a Juris Doctor in 1992 from Emory University. He was a managing member of Andre-Troner LC, a technology licensing firm. Deffebach specialized in semiconductor and digital imaging technologies and was involved in creating a more than a billion dollars of licensing revenue for his clients. |
Randy GleinDistinguished Alumni Award for Entrepreneurship  | Randy Glein (BSEE ‘88) is a founder and managing partner of DFJ Growth. His career spans more than 35 years as a venture capital investor, operating executive, and entrepreneur. Randy has a long track record as a company builder and partner to visionary entrepreneurs who shape the future by bringing innovation and technological advancement to the world. |
Robert KemeraitDistinguished Alumni Award for Career Achievement  | Robert Kemerait, Ph.D. (BSEE ‘60, MSEE ‘66, Ph.D. ‘71), is the former senior scientist at the Nuclear Treaty Monitoring Directorate at the Air Force Technical Applications Center for the US Air Force. From 1995 to 2005, Kemerait was chief scientist and vice president for Command Technologies Inc., specializing in international affairs, seismic system development, and data collection and processing. In 2005, Kemerait joined the Nuclear Treaty Monitoring Directorate, Air Force Technical Applications Center, at Patrick Air Force Base, as senior scientist. He retired in 2022. |