College of Engineering to honor distinguished alumni

03/09/2011

Larry Allen


The University of Akron College of Engineering will honor its 2011 distinguished alumni at a recognition ceremony, Wednesday, April 13, at 5:30 p.m. at Infocision Stadium-Summa Field on the UA campus. Cost is $30 person and $250 for a corporate-sponsored table. To make a reservation, call 330-972-7270.

The honorees are:

Larry Allen '70

After earning his chemical engineering degree at UA in 1970, Larry Allen began his career with Goodyear International. He assumed various engineering positions with Goodyear in Sydney, Australia, before becoming a technical manager for Goodyear operations in Jamaica.

In 1978, Allen joined Air Products and Chemicals Inc. in Allentown, Pa., where he held a broad range of managerial positions in manufacturing, process technology, product management, quality, sales and human resources. During his 30-year career, Allen served as a senior plant manager, general sales manager, manufacturing manager, human resource director and vice president of environmental, health, safety and quality. In 1992, Allen moved to Manchester, England, to become Air Products and Chemicals’ first European operations director for chemical manufacturing.

John Jones


In 2009, Allen and his wife, Susan, created The Larry Allen Scholarship in Engineering Excellence, a fund that benefits students in the UA College of Engineering.

John Jones '72

As president and CEO of Dart Engineering LLC, a professional engineering firm in Longwood, Fla., John Jones specializes in construction consulting with a focus on building inspections and litigation support. Prior to joining Dart Engineering, Jones served as president and CEO of one of Florida’s largest construction firms, DCC Constructors, Inc., specializing in commercial and multifamily construction.

Jones received numerous awards during his servicein the U.S. Air Force, including the U.S. Meritorious Service Medal, the U.S. Air Force Commendation Medal and the Korean Defense Service Medal.

James Titmas


In 1972, Jones earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from UA, where he participated in the cooperative education program, Air Force ROTC, Phi Kappa Tau fraternity and Sigma Tau engineering honorary.

James Titmas '60

As an undergraduate at UA, James Titmas, of Stow, participated in the cooperative education program, Pershing Rifles, ROTC Advanced—Army and Scabbard & Blade. After graduating in 1960 with a Bachelor of Arts in Civil Engineering, he served in the U.S. Army as an airborne ranger officer in the Corps of Engineers for more than three years.

Titmas is a registered professional engineer in Ohio and operates Titmas and Associates Inc., an engineering service firm. He has led more than 800 national and international projects during his almost 55 years in the waste-treatment industry.

Titmas served as an expert witness for the U.S. Department of Justice to identify sources of waste originatingfrom World War II industrial, synthetic rubber and petrochemical productionfacilities.

In 1997, Titmas became CEO and chairman of the board of GeneSyst International Inc., an Ohio corporation specializing in the marketing, construction, operation, licensing and franchising of gravity vessel pressure waste conversion systems, also known as the Titmas Process.

Since 1974, more than 20 U.S. patents and several international patents related to the system have been awarded.

Media contacts: Paige Poleondakis, 330-972-6482 or pep7@zips.uakron.edu, or Denise Henry, 330-972-6477 or henryd@uakron.edu.