The Marlan and Rosemary Bourns College of Engineering (BCOE) Dean’s Council of Advisors (COA) at the University of California, Riverside (UCR) is an external group of dedicated volunteers from the private and public sectors (including industry, government, and academia) who serve as ambassadors of the college and provide counsel and advice to the dean.

The fall meeting of the BCOE COA began with recognition of 20 years of service of Gordon Bourns as chair and Dr. Ernest “Ernie” Levister as vice-chair. Both will continue as council members. Their impactful 20-year legacy will continue to strengthen and help advance BCOE well into the future. COA members Dr. Shane Trussell and Steven Henderson will serve as the council’s new chair and vice chair. The outgoing and incoming COA leadership were recognized and thanked during the council’s Oct. 27 meeting.

“We are grateful to Gordon Bourns and Dr. Ernest Levister for their distinguished service and visionary leadership,” BCOE Dean Christopher S. Lynch said. “Their dedication has left an enduring legacy.”

Dr. Reza Abbaschian, a former BCOE dean and current Distinguished Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, credited Bourns’ and Levister’s guidance and assistance for several successes. These include a $3.5 million battery donation that supported BCOE’s Sustainable Integrated Grid Initiative, which conducts research into advanced clean-energy systems, and is helping to develop a $2 million project with Solar Max, a solar-energy technology company.

“This is an example of what we have done using the recognition, the prestige, and the respect that Gordon Bourns has to help bring in additional resources for the college,” Abbaschian said. “And Ernie, from day one, has always wanted to make sure that we focus on students and their success.”

Bourns is chairman and CEO of Bourns, Inc., an international Riverside-based manufacturer and supplier of sensors, trimming potentiometers, inductors, and other microelectronic products. He is the son of the company’s co-founders, Marlan and Rosemary Bourns. BCOE is named for the couple in recognition of a 1999 gift from their Bourns Foundation, which played a critical role in shaping the college into a recognized leader in engineering research and education.

“Over these 20 years, I have been so blessed to see the growth in BCOE, in the faculty, facilities, and the equipment,” Bourns said. “I’ve also had the honor of working with many of the students as a mentor, and I have found it tremendously gratifying to work with them.”

Dr. Levister, who earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering before pursuing medicine, is a retired physician who specialized in internal and occupational medicine. He, along with the J. W. Vines Medical Society, helped to establish the UCR African Americans United in Science. He is a co-founder of the Council for the Advancement of Black Engineers, a BCOE partner organization and Inland Empire-based nonprofit focused on mentoring Black engineers.

“What I am most proud of is my work with Black students who, like me, dreamt of becoming an engineer,” Levister said. “Our collective work with the BCOE National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) was life-changing.”

Levister, along with Bourns, established the NSBE endowment, the first of its kind established at UCR for a student organization.

COA members Trussell and Henderson will serve as the new chair and vice chair, respectively, starting on July 1, 2025.

Dr. Trussell is the President and CEO of Trussell Technologies, Inc., an environmental engineering firm that specializes in the development of new, drought-proof, sustainable water supplies in California. Dr. Trussell is involved with multi-billion dollar potable reuse programs and he is recognized internationally for his contributions to the field of potable reuse. He is a registered civil engineer in California and a BCOE alumnus with an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering.

Henderson is senior vice president and general manager of the services division of Microbiologics, a biotechnology company that provides materials and research services for the life sciences industry. He is a licensed and registered professional engineer in California with more than 20 years of experience in biotechnology.

Four new BCOE supporters have joined the council to lend their experience and talents. The COA also welcomed four new members: Burnett “BJ” Jones, Sam Konyn, Ryan Reid, and Tracy Wang.

Jones is the director of engineering for The Toro Company, which manufactures and markets products related to turf and landscape maintenance, irrigation, and underground and specialty construction. He has a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan-Dearborn and was a former adjunct instructor who taught project management essentials for UCR University Extension.

Konyn is a UCR mathematics alum who has been developing software for automotive diagnostics for more than 20 years. He is the chief architect for cloud-based diagnostics used by Stellantis dealerships worldwide. Konyn is also a member of the UCR Foundation Board of Trustees. In 2017, he established the Cathleen and Sam Konyn Student Project Fund at UCR.

Reid is president of Boeing Satellite Systems, which manufactures satellites and space systems for telecommunications, navigation, and national security. He is the inaugural participant in BCOE’s new Distinguished Visionary Program, which was created to support, mentor, and inspire students by connecting them with leading innovators in engineering and industry. Reid is a BCOE alumnus with a bachelor’s degree in electrical and electronics engineering.

Wang is the digital solutions director for enterprise data and analytics of digital platforms and AI office at Elevance Health. She has more than 20 years of volunteer service experience with local and national nonprofits. Wang is an inaugural co-chair for the BCOE Parent Advisory Council and has been a UCR Foundation Board of Trustees member since 2021.

 

Header image: (From L-R) Reza Abbaschian, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and a former Bourns College of Engineering (BCOE) dean; Gordon Bourns, BCOE Dean’s Council of Advisors (COA) chair; Ernest Levister, COA vice-chair; and BCOE Dean Christopher S. Lynch.