Two CEEM Alumni Amongst Columbia Engineering's 2026 CEAA Medalists

The Columbia Engineering Alumni Association (CEAA) Board has announced this year’s CEAA Medalists for the Thomas Egleston Medal, the Michael Pupin Medal, and the Samuel Johnson Medal. 

The medalists will be honored at the Dean’s Alumni Welcome Dinner on May 28, 2026. This annual signature event kicks off Columbia Reunion 2026 and historically has brought several hundred alumni and guests back to campus. 

Meet this year’s distinguished honorees:

Raymond P. Daddazio BS'75, MS'76, EngScD'82

Thomas Egleston Medal For Distinguished Engineering Achievement

The Thomas Egleston Medal was established to recognize the most accomplished Engineering alumni in the field of engineering or applied science. The medal is in honor of Thomas Egleston, who founded the School of Mines of Columbia College in 1864, the first of its kind in the United States.

This year’s winner, Raymond P. Daddazio, has broad experience in technology innovation and strategic and operational management of advanced engineering and technology programs. He has held various leadership roles, including president of Thornton Tomasetti and president and CEO of Weidlinger Associates, which merged with Thornton Tomasetti in 2015. Prior to his election as Weidlinger’s president in 2006, Daddazio was director of the firm’s Applied Science division. As such, he oversaw all of the firm’s advanced analysis and technology initiatives. He is a founder of TTWiiN, an innovation accelerator that commercializes technology spun off from Thornton Tomasetti. He serves on the boards of three of the spin-offs OnScale (acquired by Ansys in April 2022), Hummingbird Kinetics, and T2D2.ai.

Daddazio is a native New Yorker and earned BS, MS, and EngScD degrees from Columbia University, and sits on the Board of Visitors of Columbia Engineering. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in New York State.

Azmi T. Mikati BS'94

Samuel Johnson Medal For Distinguished Achievement Beyond Engineering and Applied Science

The Samuel Johnson Medal was named in honor of Samuel Johnson, who served as the first president of King’s College, the predecessor of Columbia University, from 1754 to 1762.

Azmi T. Mikati is the 2026 Johnson Medal recipient. He is the CEO of M1 Group. Mikakti earned his BS in civil engineering from Columbia in 1994. As an undergraduate, Azmi founded T-One, a telecom company providing long-distance services between the United States and international destinations. The firm achieved noteworthy success and was sold in 1997 to a publicly traded long distance company based in the United States. 

Prior to joining M1, Mikati was chief executive officer at Investcom, a leading emerging market mobile phone company. In 2005, Investcom listed its share on the London Stock Exchange, as well as the Dubai International Financial Exchange in what was the largest international listing of a Middle Eastern company at that time. This made Azmi the youngest CEO of a Middle Eastern publicly traded company. He served as a non-executive director of MTN South Africa. He was a member of the Board of Trustees of International College and the St. Jude Children Cancer Center of Lebanon. Azmi is a member of Columbia University President's Council and the Columbia Engineering Board of Visitors.

Original article can be found on Columbia Engineering's site here.