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Want to get involved?
Want to get involved?
All Tau Beta Pi alumni in the Rochester area are welcome to join the alumni chapter. Email us to find out how to join!
Our History
Our History
In 1931, Charles Plomasen, WA B '30, inquired about starting a "TBP alumni association" as they were known at the time. It took a while but in 1939 the first annual meeting of the alumni of the Rochester area was held. They had 83 Tau Bates at that meeting! Later the charter for the alumni chapter was approved on March 12, 1949 from the then alumni secretary Thomas Sear. The charter was presented to the chapter on April 29, 1949.
The Rochester Alumnus Chapter established a permanent student award at the University of Rochester in 1959. The first award was made on May 6, 1959, to David Kearney. He received a certificate and his name was engraved on a plaque on display in Gavett Hall.
The Rochester Alumni Chapter went inactive around 1992 when the main point of contact moved out of the area. The chapter became active again in 2006. Denis Lee, NY P '06, served as the president for quite a while and then moved to the Pittsburgh area around the 2013 timeframe. The chapter has been active since that time of reactivation in 2006.
Rochester Chapter Leadership
Rochester Chapter Leadership
President: Leon Williams, GA A '82
Leon Williams, the Chief Scientist for Fiery LLC (formerly Electronics for Imaging), has dedicated over 20 years to managing the development of various technologies including interpreters, color profiling, color management, RIP performance, compression, halftoning, rendering, image processing and hardware acceleration. He's currently focused on researching and developing advanced technologies for future Fiery products and boasts over 40 issued patents in these fields. Prior to Fiery, he contributed to research and advanced product development at Xerox Corporation in Rochester, NY, specializing in digital scanning, printing and copying systems.
Treasurer: Melaku Ayele, NY G '98
Mel Ayele, a Lead Systems Engineer for L3Harris Corporation's Tactical Communication Systems Division in Rochester, NY, has spent over 20 years developing, manufacturing, and maintaining various RF Communication Systems, and Accessories. He's currently focused on system processes, program proposals, and project executions. Prior to L3Harris, he worked at IBM in Essex Junction VT, Sikorsky Aircraft Stratford CT, and GE Aerospace Lynn MA.
Secretary: Antony James, FL G '18
Antony James is a Project Engineer for Calvary Robotics based in Rochester, NY. He is responsible for transforming various proof-of-concept automation ideas into market-ready engineering products by collaborating with cross-functional teams & clients. Prior to this role, he was employed as a Robotics Engineer for a start-up specializing in agricultural robotics called Harvest CROO Robotics based in Tampa, FL. Originally from India, he has been living in the US since 2016, having moved here to pursue a master’s degree in electrical engineering. With the aim of transitioning into an engineering management role soon, he is currently pursuing my MBA at University at Buffalo. Outside of work, he is a huge fan of adventure sports, slowly working my way through getting a grade A sky diving license currently. He enjoys reading, especially biographies & historical fiction, and going on long-drives as well.
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