The Delaware Valley Engineers Week Council selected Constantine Papadakis and Hilliard W. Paige as the 2010 inductees in the Delaware Valley Engineering Hall of Fame.

Constantine Papadakis, PE, PhD
Constantine Papadakis, an innovator in higher education with extensive experience in both academe and the corporate world, was president of Drexel University from 1995 to 2009. Dr. Papadakis used the historic strengths of the University (cooperative education, Drexel's focus on technology and the rich resources of its Philadelphia location) to grow full-time undergraduate enrollment from 4,500 in 1996 to more than 11,000 in 2009, freshman applications from 3,500 to 22,000, grew the endowment from $90 million to $650 million and research funding from $14 million to $105 million.

In 1998, Drexel assumed operation of the bankrupt Allegheny University of the Health Sciences, which was temporarily renamed MCP Hahnemann University, and partnered with Tenet Healthcare Corporation, which acquired the University's seven hospitals. Today, the School of Public Health (one of only two in Pennsylvania), the College of Nursing and Health Professions and the College of Medicine (the largest private medical school in the country) are academic units of Drexel University.

Building on Drexel's strengths, in 2006 Dr. Papadakis spearheaded the creation of a unique law school at Drexel University focused on intellectual property, health care, and entrepreneurship law and cooperative education.

Dr. Papadakis joined Bechtel Power Company in 1974, where he served in several engineering positions. He managed a group of engineering specialists who did pioneering work in flood-control systems, hydroelectric power and cooling systems for nuclear reactors. He was recruited by STS Consultants, one of the top 150 engineering design firms in the nation, as vice president in charge of the Water Resources Division of the company, which had 17 offices. His accomplishments there included privatization of small hydroelectric power plants in the early 1980s. Tetra Tech, a Honeywell subsidiary in Pasadena, attracted him next. As vice president of the company he led FEMA and Superfund environmental projects.

Dr. Papadakis was lured back to academia when he realized that strong management could revolutionize an institution. In 1984 he agreed to head up Colorado State University's civil engineering department, then the second largest in the nation and known for water resources research and an entrepreneurial faculty. Two years later, he became the dean of the University of Cincinnati, College of Engineering. There, he built top-quality graduate programs, more than quadrupled research contracts and grants and established relationships with leaders of local industry. During his tenure he increased the size of the faculty from 94 to 170 and commissioned architect Michael Graves to design a research center, completed in 1995.

Dr. Papadakis received his diploma in Civil Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens in Greece. He held a master's degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Cincinnati and a doctorate from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Constantine, or Taki, as his friends called him, was a Professional Engineer registered in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Greece. A member of numerous professional and honorary societies, he was a fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the American Society for Engineering Education and the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. He authored or co-authored 80 articles and technical publications.

Dr. Papadakis served as a member of the Business Higher Education Forum and the Council on Competitiveness. He also served on the board of directors of the National Commission for Cooperative Education and the World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia. He was a member of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce Executive Committee, the Eisenhower Fellowships Board of Trustees, the Board of Directors of the Opera Company of Philadelphia, the Hellenic College/Holy Cross Board of Trustees, and the Judicial Council of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. He served on the Board of Directors of Amkor Technology, Inc., Aqua America, Inc., CDI, Inc., Mace Security International, as well as Met-Pro Corporation.

Hilliard W. Paige 
Hilliard W. Paige came to Philadelphia with the General Electric Co. in 1956 to head-up the project management of programs critical to the national defense effort in the midst of the Cold War.  Prior to this role he had worked with Admiral Rickover in the development of the nuclear submarine and had managed jet engine development programs critical to the U.S. Air Force.

At the G.E. Chestnut Street plant, he directed development of the Re-entry Vehicles that made possible the nation’s capability needed to counter the USSR’s threat.  He further broadened the business with ventures into satellite developments that were the forerunners of today’s communications, weather and geo-positioning satellites which are now in constant use.

In October 2007, in recognition of the significant aerospace development work carried out at the Chestnut Street plant in the late 50’s and the 60’s the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics named this Philadelphia location one of the premier Aerospace Historic Sites of the world.

Mr. Paige was responsible for G.E. making a multi-million dollar investment in aerospace facilities located in the King of Prussia area.  This facility, designated the Valley Forge Technology Center, continues to operate with some 5,000 technical employees, now under the management of the Lockheed Martin Co. At the height of space activities under Mr. Paige, the organization was providing key elements in the manned space program, landing on the moon, planetary and earth observatory satellite programs and employed 17,000 engineers and scientists and supporting personnel.

Hilly Paige’s visionary leadership included proposing and promoting the feasibility of using an earth orbiting satellite to gain photographic intelligence on the hostile military activities of the Soviet Union.  His initiation and support was key to creating the ‘Discover/Corona’ program, resulting in providing our Presidents with invaluable intelligence. In September 2008, the National Reconnaissance Office recognized his singular contribution to bringing about this first “spy-in-the-sky” and named him a ‘Reconnaissance Pioneer’.

After Mr. Paige left the Philadelphia area in the mid-70’s he became the Senior Vice President for Technology for the General Electric Co.  He later became the President of the General Dynamics Corp., and subsequently founded a company entitled Satellite Business Systems which became part of IBM.  He has since been involved with energy consulting and held numerous corporate directorships.  He currently resides with his wife Dodie in Williamsburg, Va.

Hall Of Fame Guidelines 

1. This recognition is bestowed upon an individual, a team of individuals, an engineering project or a company whose engineering achievements have had a long-lasting impact on engineering and/or the public.
   
   
2. The individual, team, engineering project or company must be (or have been) in the area served by the Delaware Valley Engineers Week Council (currently defined as Philadelphia, Bucks, Delaware, Chester, and Montgomery counties in southeastern Pennsylvania and Salem, Gloucester, Burlington, Camden, and Mercer counties in southern New Jersey).  The achievements should be primarily within the Delaware Valley.  However, achievements outside of the Delaware Valley can be considered.
   
   
3. The goal of the recognition is to cover a broad range of time (from the beginnings of the Delaware Valley) and a broad range of disciplines.
   
   
4. Multiple awards can be made each year, with a limit of five in any given year.  However, for the first three years (E-Week 2005, 2006, 2007) up to ten awards were allowed, with the additional five awards to be for historic achievements (more than 50 years ago).
   
   
5. Suggestions from the engineering community will be solicited. Detailed nominations are not required, but basic information on the nominee should be sent to the identified contact.
   
   
6. Selection will be made by a committee of the Council.
   
   
7. No recognition will be given within ten years of the completion of the achievement being recognized.
   
   
8. Living recipients of the recognition (and a guest) would be guests of the Council at the Engineers Week Banquet.  If the recipient is a team of individuals or a company, two complimentary tickets to the banquet will be provided