Two individuals with outstanding ties to Colorado and the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs will be honored as part of the 34th UCCS Commencement Ceremonies.
The individuals will be recognized by the University of Colorado Board of Regents during formal UCCS commencement ceremonies scheduled for 11 a.m., Friday at the Colorado Springs World Arena.
The award winners and a brief summary of their contributions follow:
Thomas A. Saponas, Distinguished Service Award
Thomas A. Saponas, a UCCS alumnus, earned both his bachelor’s degree in science and electrical engineering and a master’s degree in electrical engineering more than 35 years ago. Yet, Mr. Saponas continues to be an integral part of the UCCS campus.
Saponas regularly mentors students and volunteer for the UCCS freshman seminar. He has been a member of the UCCS Science and Engineering Community Advisory Group, the UCCS Engineering Advisory Board and the CU Foundation Board of Directors. He also helped guide the development of a new computer engineering program. In 2000, he and his wife Charlotte, established an endowed scholarship fund and three years ago, they provided the largest gift by any engineering alumnus, increasing the endowment.
Professionally, Saponas is a retiree of Hewlett Packard. For more than 25 years he served as vice president, general manager, marketing manager, and group research and development manager. When HP and Agilent became two companies, he served as senior vice president and chief technology officer for Agilent.
Peter B. Teets, University Medal
Peter B. Teets received a bachelor’s of science degree in applied mathematics from the University of Colorado Boulder and a master’s of science degree in applied mathematics from the University of Colorado Denver. Today, he continues to be an advocate for the universities in the CU system. He is a past member of several engineering advisory boards and committees at UCCS and recently he, along with his wife, Vivian, established an endowed scholarship for electrical engineering students at UCCS. The Teets family donated $1 million to establish the David E. Teets wing in the UCCS Science and Engineering Building in honor of their late son.
Professionally, Teets has held several prestigious positions. Until his retirement in 2005, he served as the under secretary of the U.S. Air Force and the director of the National Reconnaissance Office in Washington, D.C. He worked for more than 30 years in various capacities with Martin Marietta Corp., serving as president of the space group before a merger with Lockheed Martin Corp. He retired in 1999 as Lockheed Martin’s president and CEO.
UCCS, located on Austin Bluffs Parkway in Colorado Springs, is the fastest growing university in Colorado and one of the fastest growing universities in the nation. The university offers 29 bachelor’s degrees, 18 master’s and four doctoral degrees. The campus enrolls about 7,700 students.