Who said an engineer has to be, well, an engineer? Engineers possess a wide range of skills from mathematics to science to technical writing to problem-solving, yet often are pigeonholed into select groups - mechanical, electrical and computer engineers, the list goes on. But not everyone who earns an engineering degree stays in engineering fields. MSOE's Alumni Office reports that some engineering graduates are restaurant owners, lawyers, and even llama and Arabian horse breeders! MSOE's alumni magazine Dimensions has profiled some of these engineers that can do anything. Here are just a few alumni who are pursuing careers outside of engineering:

Performing God's Work - Jay Anderson '87

Trading presses for pastries - Dawn Moerhke '89

Putting his priorities in order - Dr. Robert Rakowski '87

Diving into another career - Gert Grohmann '90

Having a jewel of a job - Craig Tobin '76

Over the years, MSOE's alumni magazine Dimensions has and continues to feature some of the university's most impressive alumni. Here are just a few of the articles that have celebrated our alumni for the outstanding individuals they are. Click on each title to read the accompanying story.

Turning a nightmare into a dream
Nate Newby '00 overcame a tumultuous childhood to attend MSOE and MIT and now works for a NASA contractor.

Alumna Keeps on trukin'
Susan Jaske-Lutz '86, '97 is vice president and chief operating officer of Fairway Transit Inc., a Pewaukee, Wis.-based trucking company.

The cram artist
Kent Aschenbrenner '92 BMS simultaneously raised a family, worked full time, attended college and co-founded a nonprofit organization - what will he do for an encore?

A journey of caretaking
MSOE alumnus Matt Furno sits at his antique desk as the afternoon sun filters in through east windows shaded by Hawthorn trees. The richness of the fabrics reflects the richness of aging. This tranquil setting is repeated throughout the 113-year- old building which houses the Milwaukee Protestant Home (MPH).

Growing tall
The first thing you notice about Albert Goetsch, 1959 industrial engineering alumnus, is that he is an outdoor person. Dressed in jeans, rugged jacket and boots, he has an easy smile. Although his work has taken him away at times, the land is where he is at his best and most comfortable.

Fields of dreams
MSOE's Rapid Prototyping Center (RPC), dedicated in 1991, has become the crown jewel of MSOE's numerous world-class labs. Right from the beginning, students have been an integral part of the RPC's creation and development. It was graduate student Jeff Konopacki ’91, along with Gary Peters, head of the mechanical engineering shop, who designed the laboratory, unpacked the stereolithography machine and got it up and running.

Third generation alumnus introduces industrial laser technology to students
Since October 1998, students have been gaining valuable hands-on experience with laser material processing thanks to the loan of a new model 2050 LaserGraver, which works on materials such as wood, plastic, lucite, leather and glass. This exciting opportunity was arranged by Erik Erenz, a 1996 mechanical engineering alumnus who is now a project manager for the corporate division of Laser Machining Inc. in Somerset, Wisconsin.

MSOE alumna fights for the environment
With a degree in geology and international relations, Kira Henschel '98 MSEM moved to Austria in 1979 to study and work. She ended up staying for 12 years and began her own engineering translating business, with 60 employee-freelancers.

Alumnus appointed to board by President Clinton
Kenneth Schoonover '73 ABCET has been appointed by former President Clinton to the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board), an independent federal agency which establishes guidelines for accessibility under the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968, the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Telecommunications Act of 1996.

Alumnus puts his mark on putters
Golf putters made by Robert J. Bettinardi '82 BIM are distributed to 300 high-end pro shops throughout the world and have been used by the likes of Arnold Palmer, Michael Jordan and former president George Bush.

MSEM helped alumnus focus on "the big picture"
While Dean Foate '99 worked toward his master's degree in engineering management, so too his company, Plexus Technology Group Inc. of Neenah, Wis., underwent an evolution.

Piecing together the Pentagon
Joseph Sacco '71 is leading the team that is undertaking an historic - and likely the largest - building renovation in the United States: the 12-year, $1.1 billion renovation of the Pentagon.

MSOE prepared alumnus for challenges of "real-world problems"
Ted Schneider '90 EET brings more than 20 years of operations, engineering and product management experience to his new position as product marketing director for Pathlore Software Corp. of Columbus, Ohio.

A chance meeting builds a new company
In 1995, Kenn Anderson '72 EE and Sara Miller '86 CET formed NOVA Systems Inc. to provide system integration services for local manufacturers.

Sinking the Titanic
The Titanic shook, bounced and tilted, but not without a lot of help from '86 mechanical engineering technology alumnus Greg Paddock.

Teamwork plants the seeds of trio's future
Computer science and engineering graduates Dwight Diercks, Kevin Schuh and Jay Stocki have helped take the company they work for, NVIDIA, from a small startup to the second largest graphics company in the world.

Alumnus helps students stay on cutting edge of software
Ken Dragotta '85 BSME; '98 MSEM gave back to his alma mater by initiating a gift to MSOE of market-leading software worth more than $180,000, which has been installed in the Harley-Davidson/Lee Georgeson Design Lab.

Alumnus makes all-night basketball games possible
In driveways throughout suburbia, basketball games no longer have to end at dusk, thanks to Randy Schickert '89 MET.

Alumnus lives life in the fast lane
Chris Gantner '87 EET is on the fast track … literally. He's been traveling the globe for three years managing the electronics division for the Marlboro Team Penske auto racing team.

MSOE helps alumna run family business
Boni Danner '99 knew what she needed when the family company, Electronic TeleCommunications Inc. (ETC), went public in 1985.

Alumnus finds success at Sony
Patrick Kennedy '89 EE has been promoted to senior vice president of Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment, where he is responsible for the company's online and interactive entertainment for the broadband era.

Potato waste finds a new home
Although french fries are one of America's favorite foods, they've been wreaking havoc on potato processors for years due to the high volume of waste created when preparing them and other potato dishes. Now, thanks to a flash dryer system developed by Lyle Olson '63 ME, potato culls, peels and other filtered materials - that are 80 percent water - can be dried into feed pellets for nonruminating livestock, such as poultry.

Alumnus helps build Ford's fuel cell-powered vehicle
Each year, Ford Motor Co. recognizes the highest level of technical achievement within the company by employees in manufacturing, research and product development. In 2000, Kurt Osborne '93 EE brought it home.

The Success equation
While everyone has their own idea of what it takes to succeed, only a few appreciate the true meaning of success. For Ronald Jensen, '74, vice president of Outboard Marine Corp. (OMC) and president, OMC International group, that meaning is quite clear. "Success is nothing more than a feeling of accomplishment," he believes.

Passenger friendly
When Milwaukee School of Engineering alumnus Harold Weisinger '92 MET, took the job of fitting Amtrak passenger trains with on-board wheelchair lifts, he immediately knew the Milwaukee to Chicago "Hiawatha" route was the perfect test track.

O'Toole time
Alumnus O'Toole takes his education into the workplace Before becoming president & CEO of Simon Aerials Inc., Michael O'Toole was a 1984 cum laude graduate of MSOE with a degree in industrial management. If you ask O'Toole whether his degree has an impact on his success, he'll answer with an emphatic, "Absolutely."

Snapshots
A quick glimpse at more alumni accomplishments.