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| JHLP NewsletterSummer 2025
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Hello, Friends:
I am pleased to share the (delayed) Summer 2025 newsletter with you. Programming for the 2024-2025 academic year revolved around the theme "Leading Change," one of the JHLP Leadership Capabilities. In keeping with the theme, students learned from distinguished speakers Soma Somasundaram and Phil Gilbert, honed their leadership skills by organizing JHLP events and activities, and expanded their networks by connecting with mentors, alumni, and industry partners. This newsletter features last year's JHLP activities, lots of news about our award-winning students, and profiles of graduating HLAs. Much of the content was provided by JHLP's graduate assistant Asif Sadri, whose support has been invaluable.
Many of you have also contributed time, talent, and treasure to help students in the Gallogly and Mewbourne Colleges develop as leaders. Your contributions as guest speakers, mentors, workshop facilitators, and donors set an inspiring example.
With appreciation,
Kim Graves Wolfinbarger, Director
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| JHLP Welcomes New Associates
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JHLP welcomed 44 new associates to the program last fall, bringing the total number of active HLAs to 93. The new group included undergraduate and graduate students active in a variety of student organizations within engineering programs and across campus.
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| Dr. Ryan Stoddard joins JHLP and the Engineering Pathways Program
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Associate Professor Ryan Stoddard joined the OU Engineering Pathways faculty in January. Along with his teaching duties, Dr. Stoddard supports the Jerry Holmes Leadership Program and will serve as interim co-director for the upcoming academic year. He also leads the Gallogly College's efforts to connect with our student military community.
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|  | Soma Somasundaram, CEO of ChampionX, discusses organizational culture during his presentation "Engineering Success: Building a Purpose-Driven Culture for Innovation and Impact."
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|  | Phil Gilbert, former head of design at IBM, delivered an engaging talk on "Engineering Leadership in Action: Lessons from IBM's Cultural Revolution."
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Fall Retreat at Chicken N Pickle
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The annual fall Engineering & Geosciences Student Leadership Retreat embodied our theme of "Leading Change" with changes to both venue and schedule. The retreat was organized and led by Holmes Leadership Associates Judah Anttila (retreat chair), Asif Hussein, Ali Kassab, and AJ Davis. The two-day event began on a Friday evening with dinner and a panel discussion featuring engineers Kristina Browning, Christian Comillas, and Ryan Stoddard, all with our event sponsor, Boeing.
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|  | Students engage in dynamic team-building activity and creative problem-solving during the fall retreat.
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|  | Students participate in a communication-focused activity to strengthen their ability to listen and express ideas clearly and work as a cohesive team.
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On Saturday, we convened at Chicken N Pickle in Oklahoma City for a full day of skill-building games and activities, great food, and pickleball. Attendees enjoyed a hands-on communication activity designed to enhance their ability to lead through clear, effective dialogue. The session emphasized active listening, clarity in messaging, and the importance of nonverbal cues in team dynamics.
Working in small groups, students tackled structured challenges that required them to convey instructions, solve problems collaboratively, and adapt their communication styles to different scenarios. The activity pushed students to reflect on their assumptions, recognize communication barriers, and build greater empathy within their teams.
The experience not only deepened their understanding of leadership communication but also strengthened mutual trust and respect, which are essential traits for leading diverse and high-performing teams.
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|  | HLA Alfonzie Stepney retrieves a pickleball during the afternoon set.
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Young Engineering Alumni Discuss Leadership in the Workplace
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The fall semester continued with a reprise of the popular panel discussion and networking reception with the OU Young Engineering Alumni (OYEA). Open to all students in the Gallogly and Mewbourne Colleges, the event featured OYEA members Drew Hill, Kristina Browning, Colin Murray, Spencer Davis, and Anthony Ndunda, who brought a range of professional experiences. Panelists shared insights on leadership and early career success, sparking students' questions about continuing education, remote work, and the use of AI in industry. The event was organized and facilitated by JHLP's Mentor-Alumni Committee chair Daniela Delbando.
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Mentor Mixer and Spring Celebration
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|  | JHLP Director Kim Wolfinbarger opens the event with a welcome address.
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Graduation is a time of transition, and this spring, JHLP marked the occasion with two events: the Mentor Mixer and the Spring Celebration. The Mentor Mixer gave students a chance to connect with their mentors and other supporters of the program. At the Spring Celebration, we recognized graduating HLAs, who were honored with awards, certificates, and special acknowledgments. We congratulate our graduates and wish them the best in their next chapter.
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Students Win Spring Awards
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Mohammad Sajawal, Luke Pauli, John Meuer, Sal Carreon, David Colindres, and Judah Anttila celebrate their upcoming graduation.
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HLAs continued to excel across academics, leadership, and service, earning recognition at both the university and college levels. Thao Tran received the prestigious Regents’ Award for Outstanding Juniors. Three HLAs, Luke Pauli, Tadiwa Mugwadi, and Judah Anttila, were named Outstanding Seniors for the Gallogly College of Engineering.
Luke Pauli and Kaile Mulimba were recognized on the Letzeiser Honor List. The Kristen Partridge Campus Life Award was presented to David Colindres and Bonkhe Magongo for their exceptional contributions to campus life.
Tema Dlamini was selected to join PE-ET, the university’s top honorary society for leadership, scholarship, and service, for the 2024–2025 cohort.
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Mentor and Alumni Relations Chair Daniela Delbando was this year's recipient of JHLP's Make It Better Award, honoring a student, faculty member, or staff member who has made significant contributions to program operations. Honorees receive a pocket knife engraved with the phrase “Make It Better–Make It Happen.” The inspiration came from a favorite Gen. Holmes story about another engraved pocket knife, which he received from his commanding officer during his time as wing commander of Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho.
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| Engineering Leadership Certificate Awarded to 11 Students
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Pursuing the undergraduate Certificate in Engineering Leadership continues to be a popular option for students, with 11 students earning the certificate this year. Recipients completed the required course Leadership and Management for Engineers and an additional 12 hours of electives aligned with JHLP’s Leadership Capabilities. The certificate curriculum incorporates courses from across the University in business, humanities, social sciences, and physical sciences. Completion is noted on a student’s transcript, providing tangible evidence of their leadership education. This year's recipients were Judah Anttila, Sal Carreon, Joshua Cunningham, Stryker Herrera, Hayden Maze, John Meuer, Kaile Mulimba, Ryan Mullins, Luke Pauli, Haley Perez, and Mohammad Sajawal.
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| JHLP Completion Certificate Awarded to 17 HLAs
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HLAs who have met all program participation requirements for two years and who have completed the course Leadership & Management for Engineers are recognized with the HLA Completion Certificate. This year's recipients were Tchemongo Berte, Payton Blessinger, Johnny Cowden, Joshua Cunningham, Daniela Delbando, Kyle Garibaldi, Stryker Herrera, Bonkhe Magongo, Emma Mitchell, Luke Pauli, Ricardo Peña Ontiveros, Stella Revelis, Caden Sayers, Aiden Shepard, Teddy Diallo, Mohammad Sajawal and Natasha Tarwirei. HLAs who remain enrolled after receiving this certificate may continue participating as they desire for the remainder of their time at OU.
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What's Next?Graduating HLAs Enter a New Chapter
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Several Holmes Leadership Associates graduated in December and May. Some are pursuing additional education, while others are starting their careers in industry and government. We congratulate our graduates!
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Rabiea Abo Taha
MS, Electrical Engineering
Rabiea is working as an electrical engineering EIT with Guernsey in Oklahoma City.
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Judah Anttila
BS, Industrial & Systems Engineering
Certificate in Engineering Leadership
Judah will pursue his MS at OU.
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Dylan Becerra
BS, Architectural Engineering
Dylan will pursue his MS at OU.
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Tchemongo Berte
MS, Petroleum Engineering
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Sal Carreon
BS, Mechanical Engineering
Certificate in Engineering Leadership
Sal will join Engineering Equipment Inc. in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
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Subhash Chandra
MS, Computer Science
Subhash will continue his academic journey and pursue a PhD.
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David Colindres
BS, Industrial & Systems Engineering
Certificate in Engineering Leadership
David will pursue his MS in Industrial & Systems Engineering at OU.
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Joshua Cunningham
MS, Biomedical Engineering
Certificate in Engineering Leadership
Joshua has started his career as Director of Clinical Engineering with Noble Med.
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Teddy Diallo
BS, Computer Science
Teddy will finish her master's degree in CS at OU.
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Aly Elhefny
PhD, Mechanical Engineering
Aly received the Dissertation Excellence Award from the Gallogly College and is working as a postdoctoral research associate at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
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Deniz Emre
PhD, Industrial & Systems Engineering
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Kyle Garibaldi
BS, Industrial & Systems Engineering
Certificate in Engineering Leadership
Kyle has begun his career as an AT Data Scientist with the Chickasaw Nation.
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Shadi Habibi
MS, Industrial & Systems Engineering
Shadi will continue her academic journey at OU.
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Stryker Herrera
BS, Mechanical Engineering
Stryker will complete his master's degree at OU.
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Daniel Jacob
BS, Computer Science
Daniel will join Capital One in Dallas, Texas.
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Blake Lee
BS, Computer Science
Blake will work as a software engineering intern with Coinbase in San Francisco, California.
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Cole Linam
BS, Electrical Engineering
Cole, who graduated in December, is working as an electrical engineer with Allen Consulting in Norman.
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Bonkhe Magongo
BS, Industrial & Systems Engineering
Bonkhe will continue his academic journey at OU.
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Wesley May
BS, Aerospace Engineering
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John Meuer
BS, Mechanical Engineering
John will join ExxonMobil in Midland, Texas.
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Emma Mitchell
BS, Mechanical Engineering
Emma is working for LJA Engineering in Dallas as a design engineer.
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Kaile Mirembe Mulimba
BS, Mechanical Engineering
Certificate in Engineering Leadership
Kaile is pursuing a master's degree at OU. This summer she worked as the graduate assistant for OU's Engineering Summer Bridge program.
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Sarah Onyembe
MS, Chemical Engineering
Sarah is pursuing a PhD at OU while continuing to serve as the graduate assistant for Engineering Student Life.
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Luke Pauli
BS, Biomedical Engineering
Luke will pursue his MS from Columbia University in New York City.
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Ricardo Peña Ontiveros
BS magna cum laude, Mechanical Engineering
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Haley Perez
BS, Computer Science
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Davin Rhule
MS, Mechanical Engineering
Dav will work in Lenexa, Kansas, and a plumbing designer and EIT for Henderson Engineers.
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Iris Rodriguez
BS, Architectural Engineering
Iris will pursue her MS at OU.
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Mohammad Sajawal
BS, Biomedical Engineering
Mohammad will join Emergency Medical Services in Oklahoma City as an Emergency Medical Technician.
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Natasha Tarwirei
BS, Biomedical Engineering
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| JHLP Thanks Our Donors and Sponsors
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JHLP appreciates the continued financial support of longtime corporate sponsor The Boeing Company. Employee matching gifts were provided this year by OG&E and Williams. We would also like to thank our dedicated individual donors, which in FY2025 included Tricia Tramel, David Ruyle, Andrea Watt, Carolyn Arens Ebner, Jerry D. Holmes, Greg Smith, Kristina Browning, and Anil Gollahalli. If you would like to discuss a contribution to JHLP, contact Stephanie Buettner, Executive Director of Advancement.
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Mentors play a key role in HLAs' leadership development. They act as coaches, guides, and advocates, providing a listening ear as students make important decisions about life and careers. We are recruiting additional mentors to work with our incoming cohort of Holmes Leadership Associates, so email us if you would like to learn more.
To our current mentors, thank you! As always, we appreciate your feedback. If you have not already done so, please complete the Spring 2025 Mentorship Survey. This short survey takes 5–10 minutes and supports our continuous improvement efforts.
If your mentee is continuing their studies, you are still matched! Feel free to reach out to your mentee if they have not already contacted you. And if your mentee has graduated, consider holding a closure meeting. An intentional closure process helps the formal mentorship relationship end on a positive note, allows the partners to reflect on their growth, and provides a transition to the next phase of the relationship. Chapter 8 of your Mentor's Guide book has suggestions for successful closure.
We appreciate the time you spend with your mentees and the effort put into the relationship. Thank you!
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