This year’s inductees include the founders of companies in the pharmaceutical, wireless communication and software development industries.
“We are pleased to recognize four individuals who have exhibited tremendous engineering prowess, entrepreneurial talent, and business acumen to build substantial businesses in challenging fields,” said Bahram Nassersharif, dean of the URI College of Engineering. “We are proud of these distinguished alumni and honored to include them in our Founders Club.”
The inductees are:
– John Clapham, CEO of Pharmaceutical Services Corp., a multidisciplinary consulting firm based in Southern California that specializes in compliance issues relating to the development, manufacture and distribution of pharmaceuticals, medical devices and biologics. A 1989 graduate of URI with a degree in chemical engineering, Clapham is also founder of the Stem Cell Technology Foundation, a non-profit group working to support stem cell research. He lives in Pasadena, Calif., and Westerly, R.I.
– Fred Goodrich, founder and CEO of Cellular Specialties, Inc., president of XMA Corp., and chairman and legal officer of Cellular Microwave Technologies, Co. Ltd. Prior to starting Cellular Specialties, Inc., he ran FG Associates, a consulting firm specializing in air traffic management. He also has extensive experience working on large radar and communications systems for military and commercial uses, and he holds a patent on a ground-based system for the precision tracking of aircraft. A resident of Manchester, N.H., he earned an electrical engineering degree from URI in 1960.
– Joe Marino is president of Rite Solutions, a Middletown-based high tech software development firm supporting the defense and entertainment industries. A 1971 graduate of URI with a degree in electrical engineering, he founded the company in 2000 after serving as executive vice president of the largest division of Analysis & Technology, Inc. Rite Solutions has been featured in the New York Times, Newsweek and on CNBC’s special report on the Business of Innovation. He lives in Westerly, R.I.
– Sanjeev Verma is co-founder and vice president of marketing and business development for Airvana Inc., an innovative high technology company that provides mobile broadband infrastructure to major wireless communication companies. Founded in 2000, the company has annual revenues of over $100 million and employs 500. Prior to founding Airvana, Verma held various marketing, business development and engineering roles at Motorola. A resident of Lincoln, Mass., he earned a master’s degree in electrical engineering from URI in 1990.
The URI College of Engineering Founders Club was established in 1997 and now has 44 members.