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Graduates of the College of Engineering and Computer Science enjoy the advantage of 90 percent job placement rate, meaning alumni either begin graduate school or launch their careers within six months of graduation. More than half a century ago, the college became world-renowned for its petroleum engineering program, but since then degree options in all 10 of its departments have produced successful alumni who have established themselves within their respective industries. From engineers at Instagram to creative digital entrepreneurs, our alumni apply their TU knowledge, education and experience to develop exciting careers here in Oklahoma and around the world.

Learn more about the TU alumni community here.

Meet Our Alumni

Phil McAllister

Phil McAllisterWith more than 800 million monthly users, Instagram is the world’s top photo-sharing mobile app, capturing life’s moments in photos and videos for an online audience. During the past five years, Instagram has become a household name with the help of TU alumnus Philip McAllister (BS ’04).

 

 

Cikida Gcali

Cikida GcaliCikida Gcali completed a master’s degree in petroleum engineering in the summer of 2017 and returned to her homeland of South Africa. With interests in many areas, such as finance, community engagement and entrepreneurship, she launched her career at a global management consulting firm in its specialist program and created The Money Fam, a digital publication for ambitious millennials.

 

Natasha and Matt Bray

Natasha and Matt BrayNatasha Bray (BS ’99) and husband Matt (BS ’99) are accomplished professionals who built their careers with TU degrees. The couple met while attending the Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics and married as undergraduates in the TU College of Engineering and Natural Sciences. Matt is a native of Muldrow, Oklahoma, and earned his bachelor’s in mechanical engineering. Natasha, the daughter of a family physician in Enid, has always loved science, math and physics. She merged her interests into a biology/pre-med degree while participating in the Honors Program with Matt.

Jonathan Torkelson

Jonathan TorkelsonJonathan Torkelson (BS ’04, MS ’04) established his own company more than 10 years ago while an intern for the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science & Technology. His undergraduate research showed promise in 2003, so he took a chance and filed as Embeddetech’s sole proprietor. Today, the company is thriving as a technology design and research service for customers worldwide. Embeddetech employees range from local developers and contractors in the Tulsa area, to University of Tulsa graduates in Texas, to engineers and graphic artists in India.

Sarah Carter

Sarah CarterThe classroom’s old wooden floor boards creak under Sarah (Hagan) Carter’s feet as she paces back and forth with her smart marker, drawing slopes and intercepts on a screen. Late in the afternoon at Drumright High School, she’s teaching with as much fervor and energy as she did her first session of the morning, enthusiastic while facilitating open discussion. A 2012 graduate of TU’s mathematics and education programs, Hagan teaches at a small, rural high school in central Oklahoma in an aged facility built more than a century ago. Resources are sparse, and many of the students are underprivileged, but Hagan wouldn’t have it any other way. Her personal blog about teaching, Math=Love, has millions of views, and she was named one of the “50 Great Teachers” by National Public Radio’s education team in 2015.

Jerry Dawkins and Alex Pezold

Jerry Dawkins and Alex PezoldAlex Pezold (MS ’03) set his sights on a TU graduate degree in computer science after earning a bachelor’s from the University of Oklahoma and beginning his career at a Tulsa company. However, he discovered the position lacked a certain spark he was searching for in information technology. His introduction to a few TU faculty members persuaded him to apply to the Cyber Corps program. After completing the Cyber Corps training, he spent two years working for the U.S. Department of Commerce in Washington, D.C. Later, Pezold served in the information security departments at Anheuser-Busch and MasterCard in St. Louis, Missouri. While his wife’s career and other opportunities led Pezold home to Tulsa and then Chicago, he kept in touch with fellow TU alumnus Jerald Dawkins (MS ’03, PhD ’05). The excitement surrounding daily advancements in digital technology inspired Pezold and Dawkins to join forces. So on the back of a napkin one day at a Tulsa Starbuck’s, the pair mapped out a business plan. By partnering to help each other, Dawkins manages True Digital and Pezold owns and runs the company TokenEx.

Kathleen McKee

Kathleen McKeeAs a young girl at a Girl Scout camp out, Kathleen McKee (BS ’08) discovered the wonders of nature. Today, she studies jet acoustics in volcanoes and has developed a fascination with geology. When the TU Department of Geosciences recruited her to Tulsa, she seized an opportunity to arrive early the summer before her freshman year to participate in a six-week internship. Under the advisement of Associate Professor Bryan Tapp, she studied brine scars at the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve.