Alan Blatecky

Alan Blatecky, '68, a national and international leader in grid computing and networking, will receive a Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award.

With more than 20 years' experience in high performance networking and communications, Alan Blatecky is exploring the Internet's next frontier. He serves as executive director with the San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC), overseeing programs in integrative biosciences, high-end computing, grid and cluster computing, integrative computational sciences, data and knowledge systems, and networking. A highly respected and visionary leader in his field, he is working to build a foundation for 21st-century cyberinfrastructure at SDSC and throughout the science and technology community.

Before joining SDSC, Mr. Blatecky served as program officer and acting division director in the National Science Foundation's (NSF) ANIR (Advanced Network Infrastructure and Research) program, part of the CISE (Computer and Information Science and Engineering) group. He directed the NSF's Middleware Initiative (NMI), a pioneering program designed to develop and deploy advanced network applications and technologies, enabling scientists and researchers to share distributed resources and collaborate more effectively, and to accelerate the expansion of a broader Internet. He also was co-director of the U.S. interagency MAGIC (Middleware and Grid Infrastructure Coordination) program group that coordinates middleware and grid technologies throughout the U.S. government and coordinates with international efforts.

After earning a bachelor's degree in philosophy and history from Carthage, Mr. Blatecky prepared for a career in the ministry. He enrolled at Princeton, where he earned a master of divinity degree in 1972 and a master of theology degree in 1973. As he was going through the ordination process, however, he became increasingly involved in technology. A self-taught guru, he began pursuing meaningful employment in the technology field.

Mr. Blatecky has served on a number of advisory committees, including the Biomedical Informatics Research Network (BIRN), the National Earthquake Engineering Simulation Grid, and the Federal Networking Council. He also served on the steering committee for the North Carolina Information Highway, and as an adjunct faculty member at North Carolina State and Duke Universities. He remains active in faith studies, having taught an adult theology class for the past 16 years.

Mr. Blatecky continues to push the non-technical side of his education in order to approach technology problems from different perspectives. In addition to his master's degrees in theology and divinity, he holds master's degrees in business administration and in liberal studies, both from Duke University.

Mr. Blatecky lives in Raleigh, N.C., with his wife, Gene Phyllis.

Lois Schmidt

Lois Schmidt, '72, managing director of corporate governance for the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), will receive a Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award.

Ms. Schmidt oversees the staff responsible for ensuring listed company compliance with NYSE requirements regarding all aspects of corporate governance. Her responsibilities encompass audit committee and board composition issues, financial filing requirements, and new listing qualification matters.

Prior to joining the New York Stock Exchange in 1999, Ms. Schmidt was employed by the American Stock Exchange for more than 20 years in a variety of positions dealing with listed company regulation. She managed the corporate finance and analysis department from 1987 to 1996, and, prior to her departure, was senior vice president in charge of corporate relations.

Upon earning a bachelor's degree in Spanish and communication/performing arts from Carthage in 1972, Ms. Schmidt moved to New York City, where she lived for 15 years before moving to her current residence in Roselle, N.J. Although it was her passion for theatre and language arts that led her to Manhattan, she became acquainted with New York's financial district, and ultimately rose through the ranks of the world's financial marketplace. While working at the American Stock Exchange, she earned her M.B.A. in finance from the Stern School at New York University.

Ms. Schmidt works only a few blocks away from where the World Trade Center once stood. On September 11, 2001, she escaped the city in the aftermath and was overwhelmed by the receipt of phone calls from former Carthage classmates who were concerned for her safety.