Pratt & Whitney Honors Five Engineers as Distinguished Engineers of the Year

EAST HARTFORD, Conn., Feb. 26, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Pratt & Whitney and the Hartford chapter of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) honored five Distinguished Engineers of the Year at the annual awards dinner in Manchester, Conn. during National Engineers Week from Feb. 17 through to Feb. 23. Pratt & Whitney is a United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX) company.

These awards are an opportunity to recognize and promote excellence in the field of Engineering.  These recipients are testimony to the value and dedication our innovative engineering delivers to our customers.

"It gives me great pleasure to present these awards and acknowledge the outstanding contributions these engineers have made to the industry," said Tom Prete, vice president, Pratt & Whitney Engineering. "We also want to extend our gratitude and thanks to the thousands of people across Pratt & Whitney for their talents, hard work and support for these remarkable achievements."

This year's Pratt & Whitney Distinguished Engineers of the Year include:

• George Titterton, of Hebron, Conn., deputy director, for his outstanding contributions to the PurePower® Geared Turbofan™ engine program;
• Don Duvall, of Manchester, Conn., F135 STOVL (Short Take Off & Vertical Landing) program chief engineer, for his exceptional engineering leadership on the F135 engine program;
• Roger Blinn, of Amston, Conn., design integration manager, for his technical skills and leadership on the Adaptive Engine Technology Development (AETD) program;
• Carol Crowe, of East Hampton, Conn., Aftermarket Coating discipline chief, for her expertise and hands-on approach in the Global Services Engineering (GSE) discipline; and
• Jim Koonankeil, of Marlborough, Conn., principal engineer, for his innovative and results-driven work in Manufacturing Engineering.

"George helped achieve plans to save more than $455,000 on the PurePower® Geared Turbofan™ engine program and helped create engineering milestones that tracked the progress of our tasks as we moved into the execution phase," said Ben Reinert, director, Hot Section Engineering.

"Don provided exceptional engineering leadership to resolve all propulsion integration issues related to the F-35B STOVL. The quick and timely resolution was a key enabler in cutting the probation period in half -- from two years to one year," said Tom Johnson, Operational Military Engines chief engineer.

"Over a three-month period Roger led a Pratt & Whitney technical team to define a ground-breaking engine configuration, complete an early engine concept design, communicate the large benefits of Pratt & Whitney's offering to the customer, and write an outstanding technical proposal for the AETD program," said John Wiedemer, chief engineer for Advanced Engines.

"Carol is recognized by her customers for delivering process improvements that provide significant time and cost reductions relating to coating repairs. Her support for strategic projects relative to complex coatings has been invaluable," said Robert Murac, Aftermarket fellow.

"Jim was instrumental in developing and deploying several new technologies for Pratt & Whitney's Turbine Module Center (TMC), which ensures engines parts operate and survive in harsh conditions. The manual time savings alone for one system Jim deployed exceeded $100,000 per year," said Christopher Millea, Manufacturing Engineering manager.

These engineers contributed to significant accomplishments, such as Pratt & Whitney's final selection in the Adaptive Engine Technology Program by the U.S. Air Force; reducing the probation period for the F-35B program in half; and delivering significant cost savings for the PurePower® Geared Turbofan™.

Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines, space propulsion systems and industrial gas turbines.  United Technologies, based in Hartford, Conn., is a diversified company providing high technology products and services to the global aerospace and commercial building industries.         

SOURCE Pratt & Whitney