Alumni

Dean Diver earned B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Tech in December 1965 and began his career as a Project Engineer with Amoco Chemical Corporation in Joliet, Illinois. In 1968, Dean became a Project Engineer for Corporate Engineering of Owens-Illinois, Incorporated. Six years later he joined a small consulting engineering firm in Toledo, Ohio, AVCA Corporation, Dean's background allowed AVCA to . . .

Gary Lawrey earned a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Tech in 1979. He continued his education at the University of Detroit towards an M.S. degree in Engineering Management in 1986. Gary began his career in the automotive industry with Ford Motor Company in 1979 as a Process Engineer. He advanced to Plant Manager in 1996 at Ford's Berlin Plant in Berlin, Germany. Upon his return to the United States . . .

Kristin Kolodge (Schwalbach) graduated from Michigan Tech in 1995 with her bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. After attending Women in Engineering during Summer Youth Programs, she was hooked. Michigan Tech was the only school she applied to. Kolodge’s career started as a contract employee for Chrysler and was hired on directly several months later. She spent 19 years at Chrysler, working to create . . .

Karl LaPeer is currently a partner at Peninsula Capital Partners, LLC, a Detroit-based $1.9 billion private equity firm.  From 1998-2009 he was Senior Vice President amp; Principal, and from 1996-1998 he was an Investment Manager. He and his partners at Peninsula Capital began with $20 million in capital back in 1995, and they have since invested over $1.5 billion, in more than 140 small and mid-sized companies with . . .