Six alumni were inducted into the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences’ Hall of Fame last week, according to a University release.

The six alumni – William Austen, Bahram Javidi, Christyl Johnson, Gerald McNichols, Çağatay Özdoğru and Rodolfo Rodriguez – joined a program that has honored more than 60 alumni since its creation in 2006. The program honors those who have made “significant strides in engineering, technology, management or public service,” according to the release.

David Dolling, the dean of SEAS, said at the ceremony that the inductees represent the best of the engineering and computer science world and bring “distinction” to GW, according to the release.

The inductees all have prominent roles in engineering fields – Austen is president and CEO of Bemis Company, Javidi is a Board of Trustees distinguished professor at the University of Connecticut and Johnson is deputy center director for technology and research investments at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.

McNichols is a philanthropist and angel investor, Özdoğru is the CEO and board member of Turkey’s Esas Holding and Rodriguez is founder and chief scientific officer of Advanced Animal Diagnostics, according to the release.

University President Steven Knapp said at the ceremony that the alumni all embodied the theme of “Excellence in Engineering Leadership,” and help to improve the University’s engineering programs.

“SEAS as a whole has now truly assumed its rightful place as a leader in engineering education and research,” Knapp said, according to the release.