TCE Alumni Honored at UT Awards Gala

Hackett is the US Chief Executive Officer of BMO Financial Group, President and CEO, BMO Bank N.A., and CEO of BMO Financial Corp, leading all US operations for one of North America’s top 10 banks. He serves on BMO’s Executive Committee and chairs the US Management committee, while also guiding global strategy as Group Head of US and International Banking. In memory of his late brother, a fellow UT alumnus, Hackett established the Aaron T. Hackett Memorial Scholarship, which was awarded to a mechanical engineering student this fall.

Parker is a globally recognized leader in artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics. She was a professor in the Tickle College of Engineering and associate vice chancellor and founding director of the AI Tennessee Initiative, positioning the university and state as national leaders in the data-driven economy. Parker has shaped national AI policy across four US presidential administrations. In January 2025, she was appointed by President Donald Trump as executive director of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and counselor to the director of the White House Office of Science and Technology. Parker and her husband established the Lynne and Robert Parker Computing Scholarship Endowment and the Graduate Computing Award Endowment to support students in the Min H. Kao Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

Wilmore is a decorated naval aviator, test pilot, and veteran NASA astronaut with a distinguished career spanning aviation, space exploration, and public service. Wilmore has logged more than 464 days in space across three missions, including commanding the International Space Station and piloting the space shuttle Atlantis. His honors include the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, and multiple combat-decorated commendations. He received the NCAA Theodore Roosevelt Award and UTSI’s Distinguished Alumni Award and is a member of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Hall of Fame.

Yochem is the global chief information officer at Krispy Kreme, where she leads enterprise-wide digital transformation and technology innovation for one of the world’s most iconic sweet treat brands operating in more than 40 countries. She also serves as an independent director for Zurich American Insurance Group and Zurich American Life Insurance Company. She previously served in leadership roles at Novant Health, BDP International, AstraZeneca, and Dell Technologies. Yochem and her husband established the Angela and Daniel Yochem Endowment for the Min H. Kao Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

Dodd is the senior staff software engineering manager at Google, where he leads the Cast Receivers team, which powers streaming media experiences across TVs, smart displays, speakers, and vehicles. Over his 15-year tenure, he’s led transformative projects, including the first built-in video chat on Android and the adoption of RCS messaging, which now handles more than a billion messages daily. His expertise in messaging earned him the nickname “Minister of Messaging” and positioned him as a key spokesperson for Google’s Android communication initiatives. Dodd and his wife established the Michael and Meredith Dodd Silicon Valley Experience Endowment in the Min H. Kao Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

Gomez is the director of manufacturing research and technology at MSC Industrial Supply Co., where he leads transformative initiatives that connect advanced research with real-world manufacturing solutions, driving innovation across the industry. As a PhD student at UT, Gomez played a key role in operationalizing the Machine Tool Research Center at TN MADE in partnership with UT, giving students hands-on access to state-of-the-art manufacturing technologies. He founded Manufacturing Day at TN MADE, annually welcoming hundreds of local high school students for immersive career exploration. His research innovations include the development of low-cost dynamic force measurement tools and pioneering work in hybrid manufacturing for aerospace and defense applications.