Alumni News: Spotlights

Matt Wheeler ’16 Th’17

The Advocate 

“The progress I’ve made from the very beginning is what keeps me motivated,” Matt Wheeler ’16 Th’17 says of ongoing efforts to implement solar projects in tribal communities. Since graduation, he has introduced and implemented a range of energy projects, starting with a Willets, Calif.-based nonprofit to build residential solar in tribal communities. Then, “four years ago, I moved back home to the Navajo Nation and began working on small scale off-grid installations to power water pumps for cistern projects through Indian Health Services.” As a project manager with the Navajo Engineering & Construction Authority, Wheeler designed and built a system for small-scale AC applications before handing it off to IHS. He continues to increase and develop renewable energy in tribal communities across the region as project engineer with SOLV Energy in New Mexico. “The challenges in tribal communities are substantial,” says Wheeler, citing a lack of financial resources, community involvement, and politics. “While those being served are incredibly grateful, it is difficult to get projects implemented.” His work has included outreach to local Native communities—“My time presenting for group projects in Thayer definitely helped”—teaching himself how to connect solar and electrical systems, and iterating to refine his prototypes. “As I move forward, I am excited to grow and push my limits,” says Wheeler. “I will need to continue this progress as new opportunities will bring new challenges. [But] after experiencing the impact I had on the tribal communities of California, I committed myself to this work and it has been my sole focus since.” 

Laura Weyl Th’08

The Remodeler 

After seven years, Laura Weyl Th’08 has hung up her hardhat—for a few months at least. The senior associate at Degenkolb Engineers recently completed an extensive retrofit and remodel of the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco. “We started with a voluntary seismic retrofit, followed up with a full corrosion investigation and repair of the spire and then an extensive amenities interior remodel of more than seven floors of the building, including the lawn and surrounding park.” The pyramid-shaped 48-story modernist skyscraper stands at 853 feet, and upon completion in 1972 it was the eighth-tallest building in the world. “I started scaling the spire framing before I knew twins were in my future, and they are now almost 5!” says the licensed structural and civil engineer. “The lobby and park are now open to the public, so come check it out!” 

Alexander Carney Th’23

Young Researchers 

Three Dartmouth Engineering alumni and students have earned 2024 National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowships. The awards include an annual stipend and access to professional development opportunities that support fellows as they pursue research interests and make strides in their fields. Recipients include Amritha Anup Th’23, a PhD candidate in biomedical engineering in Thayer Professor Katherine Hixon’s lab; Mia Giallorenzi ’23 Th’24, who earned the Dartmouth Society of Engineers Prize during 2024 Investiture and is studying synthetic biology as a PhD student at the University of Washington; and Xiaoran “Seamore” Zhu ’19 Th’20, a PhD candidate studying ecology and environmental science as a member of the Land Cover & Surface Climate Group at Boston University. In addition, Alexander Carney Th’23, a Dartmouth PhD Innovation Fellow studying quantum engineering, earned an honorable mention. “The program is a highly competitive and prestigious award for young researchers, and we are proud of our Dartmouth fellows,” says F. Jon Kull ’88, dean of the Guarini School of Graduate and Advanced Studies. “[It] has a long history of funding students who become lifelong leaders, contributing significantly to both scientific innovation and teaching.” 

Benton Routh ’86 Th’86 Th’87

In Recognition 

Dartmouth Engineering has named Benton Routh ’86 Th’86 Th’87 the 2024 Sylvanus Thayer Fellow for his strong commitment Dartmouth, Thayer, and the community at large. After earning his bachelor’s and master’s in electrical and computer engineering, the Texas native leveraged his education in consulting and marketing roles. “Even though I was in consulting, I had a technology background,” Routh says. “I would say: ‘I understand the engineering. I understand the math.’ I credit Dartmouth’s liberal arts education for giving me the ability to extend concepts and push myself throughout my career without having to go back and get a specialized degree.” He served as a principal for Booz Allen Hamilton, and global executive leader at ExxonMobil, president of the petroleum marketer division and chief marketing officer at FleetCor Technologies and is currently board chair for the petroleum product firms McPherson Cos. Routh’s connections to Dartmouth have remained strong throughout, including longtime service as an admission ambassador and fundraiser, now as chair of Thayer’s Annual Fund Executive Committee. “When you’re raising money, by definition, you’re helping the students by helping run the school,” he says. —Betsy Vereckey 

Jeremy Howick ’92 (white hat) returned to the Dartmouth docks last fall with Dave Dragseth ’93, Sohier Hall ’92, and Elad Levy ’93.

Emissions-Free Energy 

Sarah Jewett ’12 Th’13 joined other geothermal experts on campus last fall for the Class of 1972 Lecture, “The Future of Geothermal Energy.” Hosted by the Arthur L. Irving Institute for Energy and Society, the panel discussion focused on advancements in technology and policy implications. As vice president of strategy at Houston-based green energy supplier Fervo Energy, Jewett has drawn on her background in hydraulic fracturing technology to create a type of “sub-surface radiator” technology. “We have produced a system that can generate clean, emissions-free energy around the clock,” she said. “This is a really powerful tool as we look beyond intermittent renewables that rely on a specific resource or on the weather to decarbonize the deep fossil fuel base of our energy system.” Jewett was joined by Rosi Kerr ’97, director of the Dartmouth Sustainability Office; Andrew McAllister ’87, who majored in mechanical engineering as an undergraduate and is now a member of the California Energy Commission; and Roger Wakeman, vice president of facilities and energy at Dartmouth. Kerr and Wakeman are leading the College’s $500-million commitment to reduce campus carbon emissions by 60 percent by 2030, including a shift to hot-water heating using geo-exchange technology. 

The Competitor 

Engineering sciences major Jeremy Howick ’92, part of the Dartmouth heavyweight crew that won the 1992 Eastern Sprints, recently reunited with three of his original teammates and coach Scott Armstrong for the world’s biggest race, the Head of the Charles Regatta. Howick, Dave Dragseth ’93, Sohier Hall ’92, and Elad Levy ’93 sought a better finish than their ill-fated ’91 attempt at the Boston regatta, when they crashed into the last bridge. Last October, the four-man crew tuned up in Hanover before heading to Boston a week later to finish 11th in the men’s senior masters fours (50-plus). They raced as part of the Ever Green Boat Club—the College alumni rowing club—which included 41 men and women from 1979 through 2024 competing in six boats. “Scott Armstrong taught us to dream very big, then outwork anyone else,” says Howick, who sees parallels between his athletic and professional pursuits as director of the Leicester Medical School Stoneygate Centre for Empathic Healthcare in the United Kingdom. “To succeed as the director of the centre, I’ve had to break new ground in the medical school, which has required me to be bold in my ambitions and vision and have a tireless work ethic to follow through.”