A global education leads to a global footprint. As leaders in their fields, our alumni represent employers, governments and nonprofits on six continents, 39 countries and all 50 U.S. states.

In 2012, the University honored three engineering alumni with Distinguished Achievement Awards. Thomas Wroe Jr. (’71) received a President’s DAA, the highest recognition for an alumnus, for his leadership as chairman and CEO of Sensata Technologies.

The University also recognized Carl Engle ’65, vice president and chief engineer of the Cardi Corporation and retired Rear Admiral Daniel May ’84 for his service in the U.S. Coast Guard.

Winning America’s Cup

In dramatic fashion, Oracle Team USA completed one of the greatest comebacks ever to clinch the 2013 America’s Cup. The final race lasted just 23 minutes, but for mechanical engineering alumnus Andrew Gaynor (’98), the competition spanned more than two years.

Gaynor helped design the team’s cutting-edge AC72 catamaran that delivered new speed and excitement to the greatest sailboat regatta.

“Through the whole design process you’re feeling the competition,” Gaynor says. “You’re in this constant competition to design a better boat and that’s where the energy comes from.”

Gaynor designed the boat’s wing-sail that catches the wind and propels the boat to speeds of upwards of 40 knots. Team USA chose to make the sail from lightweight composite materials, and Gaynor modeled designs. By the end, the wing-sail was perhaps the most prominent part of the boat estimated to cost at least $100 million.

To keep the boat together and ensure the safety of its sailors, Gaynor and his colleagues double checked the design of every component. And even with a seemingly unlimited budget, Gaynor faced challenges.

“Your limitation is usually time,” he says. “It doesn’t matter how big the budget is; you can’t buy time.”

Although time may not have been on Gaynor’s side, he had the experience to handle last-minute design changes. The life-long sailor served on the design teams for the 2010 America’s Cup winning BMW Oracle USA team and the 2007 Italian team. He also designed masts for competitors in the 2008 and 2011 Volvo Ocean Race.

Gaynor has always enjoyed the ocean. His parents took him sailing on their wooden cruising sailboat and he forged lifelong friendships at the local sailing center. His heart sank when the Australians won the 1983 America’s Cup.

At URI, he joined a competition to design, construct and race a solar-powered boat, which took second in a national competition.

Gaynor also tried out for the U.S. Olympic sailing team. He didn’t qualify and after graduation the dream of becoming a professional sailor faded and he went on to find engineering jobs.

But when a friend called in 2005 and asked for help designing masts for the America’s Cup, Gaynor left his job to gamble on a new career.

Eight years later, that dream has become reality.

 

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