91°µÍøÊÓÆµ

Board of Advisors

The Board of Advisors for the College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences (CEMS) consists of leaders in business, education, and public affairs appointed for the purpose of advising the Dean of the College, the Provost and the President of the University on opportunities for enhancement of the College.

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The Board links the College to its alumni, the local community, the state of Vermont, the nation, and the world of professional practice. It enables the College and the University to benefit from the experience and counsel of persons external to the University who have a wide range of experience, knowledge, and expertise. The Board helps to make the activities and accomplishments of the College more widely known in order to enhance public recognition. It also assists in strengthening financial support for the College.

Fall 2025 CEMS Board of Advisors

Victoria Hildebrand, Chair of the Board of Advisors

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Vicki Hildebrand

Victoria Hildebrand is the former Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the

During her time in Washington, she spearheaded a digital transformation program that resulted in tens of millions of savings, a more resilient cyber security infrastructure, and the implementation of modern data management techniques across all the Department’s agencies, including the Federal Aviation Administration.

For more than 30 years, Hildebrand lead the organizations in hardware and software development, systems engineering, architecture, operations, and global services at Hewlett-Packard Inc. In her current role as CIO and SVP of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (BCBSMA), Hildebrand implements future technology and data management capabilities to better serve consumers, clients, and employees. Prior to her role in MA, Hildebrand served as the CIO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont.  This proud former member of UVM’s College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences Board of Advisors now serves on UVM’s Center for Biomedical Innovation Advisory Board. She is also a U.S. Figure Skating Gold Medalist and former coach and is a national competition figure skating judge in her free time.

Rosario Arias

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Rosario Arias

Senior Software Engineer, Athenahealth

Rosario works as a Senior Software Engineer at in Burlington, VT, developing optimized hospital software solutions that help deliver accessible, high-quality, and sustainable healthcare. Prior to joining Athenahealth in 2019, Rosario worked in software engineering roles for both IDX and GE Healthcare’s hospital software solutions.

As a UVM alum, Rosario has been involved with UVM in several volunteer roles. In 2012, she joined UVM President Sullivan’s Advisory Council, on which she served for 3 years. That same year, she also joined the UVM Alumni Association Board of Directors as the Chair of
the Admissions Committee for 6 years, helping to drive better connections between UVM alumni, UVM, and UVM families. Through the years, she has also volunteered for multiple events with the UVM Career Hub and Mosaic Center for Students of Color. In 2021, Rosario joined the UVM CEMS Advisory Board.

Rosario earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from UVM in 1987. Originally from Honduras, she currently lives in Williston, VT with her husband (UVM ’90). Her two adult children are also part of the UVM family. Her oldest son graduated in 2018 with a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience, and in 2022 with a Master of Science in Counseling. Her youngest son graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematical Sciences and is currently a UVM Computer Science graduate student working to receive his Master of Science degree in 2023.

Robert Chernoff

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Bob Chernoff

Senior Vice President, Bimbo Bakeries

Bob Chernoff is a Senior Vice President at USA (BBU),  known for its leading bakery brands including Arnold, Thomas, Entenmann’s, Sara Lee and Freihofer.  Bob currently leads Corporate Strategy, Transformation and the Acelerada business unit. In his 36 plus year career with BBU and its predecessors Bob has held leadership roles over Information Technology, Supply Chain Logistics, Corporate Strategy, Corporate Development, Transformation, Corporate Venture Capital and Growth Opportunities.

Bob graduated from the 91°µÍøÊÓÆµ in 1984 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science

Jacqueline Dagesse

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Jacqueline Dagesse

President, EIV Technical Services

Jacqueline Dagesse began her career as a program manager in the tech industry. She worked with international teams to develop software products which aided the utility industry in federal regulation compliance. As the firm grew, she met with angel investors and investment partners to ‘pitch’ the business. This experience in mergers & acquisition gave Jacquie the confidence to acquire a firm of her own, , in 2011. Along with her husband, Nathan, they have grown the firm to earn State and Federal retainer contracts in the transportation and energy industries. EIV provides construction management, environmental and project outreach consulting services. Their headquarters office is located in Winooski, Vt.

From 2012-2015 she led an EIV team to pioneer the State of Vermont accreditation process for materials testing laboratories. After starting and growing this side of the business, she sold it through an acquisition by SW Cole Engineering.

In 2016 she became a partner in a small real estate development company focused on urban infill redevelopment projects in Chittenden County, Vt., in addition to her role at EIV. She is currently working on expanding and growing a complimentary property management division of the business.

Jacquie has both a civil engineering management degree and a master’s in business administration from the 91°µÍøÊÓÆµ. While at UVM, Jacquie started the first student chapter of Engineers Without Borders and lead UVM student civil engineering projects in Honduras and Nicaragua. She is passionate about service led engineering projects, both locally and abroad. She also services on the Vermont Technical College Advisory Board.

Jacquie met her husband, Nathan, in Votey Hall on the first day of CE OO1. They live in Williston, Vt., with their four children.

Ira Hoffman

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Ira Hoffman

CEO of HighRes Biosolutions

Ira serves as the CEO of in Beverly, MA, leading a team of over 300 professionals dedicated to designing, developing, and implementing innovative automation solutions for the life sciences. HighRes offers comprehensive automation options ranging from laboratory automation to SaaS software and system integrations, spanning a variety of processes including High Throughput/Content Screening, Compound/Sample Management, Genomics, and Cell-Based Workflows.

Before joining HighRes Biosolutions, Ira was instrumental in transforming wheelchairs into autonomous robots capable of self-storing in the trunk of a vehicle, at an assistive technology firm known as Freedom Sciences. He commenced his career at Merck, spending six years there and initially delving into Lab Automation and High Throughput Screening within Drug Discovery.

Ira obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from UVM in 1999. Throughout his undergraduate years, he engaged as a TA, experimental assistant, and electronics technician in both the Physics and Mathematics departments. He later achieved a Master’s degree in Computer Science from Villanova University. Ira resides in Stoneham, MA, with his wife and two daughters.

Brian Kirk

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Brian Kirk

Chief Technology Officer, Amphenol High-Speed Products Group

Brian Kirk is the Chief Technology Officer for the . He received his PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of New Hampshire. Over Brian's twenty-five plus year career, he has been granted more than 25 patents on interconnect design and architectures. His responsibilities included leading engineering divisions across North America, Europe, and Asia for both high-speed copper and optical interconnects.

Ryan McDevitt

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Ryan McDevitt

President and CEO at Benchmark Space Systems

Ryan McDevitt is the president and chief executive officer at , a Burlington-based company he co-founded in 2017 to commercialize technology first developed at UVM.

Under Ryan’s guidance, Benchmark Space has completed contracts for NASA, USAF, and DARPA, expanded to offices in California and the UK, and launched their first hardware to space in 2020. As a native Vermonter and UVM alum, he focuses on generating opportunities in Vermont for students and recent grads to engage in STEM enrichment and employment.

Ryan earned his B.S. degree in mechanical engineering from WPI in 2003, and his M.S. (2011) and Ph.D. (2014) in mechanical engineering from UVM.

Christian Monberg

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Christian Monberg

Chief Technology Officer at Zeta Global

Christian Monberg is the Chief Technology Officer at (NYSE: ZETA), an industry-leading AI-driven marketing technology company. He joined Zeta in 2017 following the acquisition of Boomtrain, a company he co-founded in 2013 that specialized in machine learning and AI.

 Earlier in his career, Monberg held several leadership roles, pioneering advanced technological frameworks that significantly enhanced business efficiencies and innovation capabilities. His deep-rooted involvement in the San Francisco startup community as an investor and advisor has supported numerous early-stage and public businesses in realizing their full potential.

 An avid aviator, sailor, and snowboarder, Monberg enjoys these activities with his two young children and his wife, Michelle, a fellow 91°µÍøÊÓÆµ (UVM) graduate ('03) and continues to adventure with dozens of his Buckham dorm mates. He graduated from UVM in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, with a concentration in Biomedical Engineering.

Rooted in his engineering background and galvanized by his expansive career at the intersection of technology, design, and business, Monberg is a fervent mentor, particularly passionate about inspiring and guiding the next generation of innovators. 

Julie Moore

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Secretary – State of Vermont Agency of Natural Resources

Julie Moore is the Secretary of the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources (ANR), the state agency with primary responsibility for protecting and sustaining Vermont’s environment, natural resources, wildlife and forests, and for maintaining Vermont’s beloved state parks. Moore was named to that position by Governor Phil Scott in January 2017. As ANR Secretary, Moore shapes Vermont’s environmental agenda, focusing on water quality, the forest economy, and the importance of conservation. She currently serves on the boards of the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, Vermont Council on Rural Development, as well as ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center.

Before her appointment, Moore worked as the Water Resources Group Leader at Stone Environmental, an environmental consulting firm headquartered in Montpelier, Vermont. She led a variety of watershed planning and assessment projects, and has a deep understanding of water quality concerns associated with runoff from developed land and agricultural areas, as well as stream channel processes and flooding. Moore has diverse experience engaging the public in watershed management programs and activities. 

Prior to joining Stone in 2011, Moore spent seven years at ANR where she led the state’s efforts to reduce phosphorus pollution in Lake Champlain. In that role, she coordinated a multi-million dollar budget and grant allocations, and served as the primary Agency liaison to related programs at the agencies of Agriculture, Food & Markets and Transportation. 

During her years outside of state service, Moore volunteered her expertise for several organizations dedicated to improving Vermont’s water resources, including: Friends of Northern Lake Champlain Advisory Council (Chair); Friends of the Winooski River and Watersheds United (Board of Directors); Winooski Natural Resources Conservation District (Associate Supervisor); Rumney Memorial School Board (Chair). She also served two three-year terms on the Citizens Advisory Committee on the Future of Lake Champlain, including two years as Chair. 

Moore earned a B.S. in civil engineering, cum laude, from the University at Buffalo and an M.S. in environmental science and policy from the Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering at the Johns Hopkins University. She is a registered professional engineer in Vermont and New Hampshire. 

Moore currently resides in Middlesex, Vermont with her husband, Aaron, and their two children.

Dan Nardi

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CEO of Reimagine Care 

Dan Nardi is the CEO of Reimagine Care, the nation’s leading provider of cancer care services in the home. Dan is a proven leader and has over 23 years of experience with rapidly growing companies in the digital health space. 

Prior to joining Reimagine Care, Dan was the Chief Operating Officer of Carrum Health, a company focused on value-based care, where he had responsibilities over operations, care delivery, and growth, among other areas. Prior to Carrum Health, he helped grow and scale Livongo, as Vice President of Operations, from 13 employees to the IPO. Dan brings significant leadership and operational expertise; having been successful in building highperforming teams and converting aspiring company vision & mission into reality. 

Dan is a board member and advisor for several non-profits and startups and earned his bachelor’s in mathematics and master’s in computer science from the 91°µÍøÊÓÆµ. Dan resides in Boulder, CO with his wife, son, and their dog, Yoshi.

Janet Lee Redmond

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Janet Lee Redmond

Over a 37-year career with Janet held a wide variety of positions.  Her career started as a customer account representative with a focus on improving energy efficiency for agricultural customers in California’s central and southern San Joaquin Valley.  She later moved into energy efficiency program management, with responsibility for both local implementation and national energy efficiency policy advocacy.  After stints in Communications, including as the CEO’s executive speechwriter and leading the formation of the Company’s first Compliance and Ethics program, she led a variety of different programs and projects.  In the information technology area, this included leading the implementation of an enterprise Human Resources and Payroll system, and an enterprise-wide team of 170 people responsible for system requirements and testing.  She became an expert in California utility regulation related to Human Resources and was responsible for rate recovery of approximately $1 billion per year.  She developed procedures to support the regulatory process across the company.  Her final assignment was to oversee PG&E’s retirement plans, with a specific focus on plan administration and process improvement.

Janet earned a B.S. in Agricultural Engineering from Oregon State University, an M.S. in Civil Engineering from the 91°µÍøÊÓÆµ, and a Masters in Human Resources and Organizational Development from the University of San Francisco.

She currently resides in Oregon on her multi-generational family farm. Janet was recently appointed to be a member of the Yamhill County Fair Board and is an active volunteer with the local 4-H program.