Reviewed by: Sarah Gronberg
Huntsville represented in new Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame class
Reading time: 4 minutes
The most recent inductees to the Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame were honored last week at a ceremony at the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel & Spa Convention Center, and the list honorees this year includes a pair of Huntsville engineers and a Huntsville company.
Check out who is part of the Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame Class of 2023:
Michael Wicks
Michael Wicks is one of the six people inducted into the prestigious group this year, and he has strong Huntsville ties. Wicks is a Huntsville native, but also earned his masters degree at the University of Alabama in Huntsville after attending Auburn University for his undergraduate degree.
Wicks’ career has been devoted to providing innovative engineering and technical services to the nation’s defense both as a United States Army civilian and as a private contractor for the Department of Defense at Redstone Arsenal.
As a successful business owner and entrepreneur, he founded Summit Research Corporation and i3. Later, Wicks joined Houston-based Diakonos Research in 2022 as its president and is leading the company’s development of state-of-the-art cancer immunotherapies.
“We are very proud of the rich history that Huntsville has with the Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame. To see the incredible accomplishments from our UAH alumni and fellow community members is what makes our city remarkable. I am extremely pleased to see Mike Wicks added to this illustrious group. As a graduate, Mike has been a stellar advocate for UAH’s engineering program. He is an outstanding leader and caring philanthropist. UAH is proud of Mike’s success and the other inductees in the field of engineering.”
UAH President Chuck Karr
Rey Almodóvar
Another of this year’s inductees is Huntsville resident Rey Almodóvar, co-founder and chief executive officer emeritus of INTUITIVE in Cummings Research Park.
His professional career began in 1984 as a civilian employee for the U.S. Army providing technical, production, and programmatic support to weapon systems such as the Multiple Launch Rocket System, the PATRIOT Advanced Capability – 3, and the Terminal High Altitude Air Defense missile systems among others.
During his tenure at INTUITIVE, Almodóvar served as its first president, CEO and Chairman of the Board.
The Almodóvar family was awarded the Community Foundation of Greater Huntsville Family Philanthropy Award, and most recently the Almodóvars were presented with the 2023 Distinguished Service Award by the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce.
Dynetics, Inc.
Huntsville-based Dynetics, Inc. was the company honored in this year’s AEHOF ceremony. Dynetics is a leading provider of responsive, cost-effective engineering, scientific, IT solutions to national security, cybersecurity, space and critical infrastructure sectors.
Since its founding in 1974 in Huntsville, Dynetics has grown to nearly 3,000 employees, the majority of whom work in Alabama, with locations in 10 other states.
In 2020, Dynetics became a wholly owned subsidiary of Leidos, expanding its capabilities for customer-focused research, development and rapid prototyping and further enabling investment in programs of national importance.
The Class of 2023
The full list of inductees for the 2023 Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame includes:
- Angel “Rey” Almodóvar, of Huntsville
- Dr. Stuart Bell, of Tuscaloosa
- Milton Davis Jr., of Birmingham
- Tim McCartney, of Gadsden
- Thomas Talbot, formerly of Birmingham
- Michael Wicks, of Huntsville
- Dynetics Inc., headquarted in Huntsville
The Hall of Fame is overseen by engineering colleges and schools at Auburn University, Alabama A&M University, The University of Alabama, Tuskegee University, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, The University of Alabama in Huntsville and the University of South Alabama.
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