School of Engineering honors 2021 distinguished alumni at event

December 2, 2021 - Kim Delker

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The University of New Mexico School of Engineering honored 16 of its graduates as recipients of the Distinguished Alumni Award. The 2021 awardees were honored at a ceremony on December 2 at Hotel Albuquerque.

Each honoree was nominated, then selections were made by a committee of alumni, faculty, and past winners of the award. For additional information on each winner, visit the website, which includes a full event program with profiles of each winner, acceptance videos and photo slideshows.

2021 Chemical and Biological Engineering Distinguished Alumni • William (Bill) Goodman

Bronx-born Bill Goodman first planned on becoming a doctor, but  a failing grade in organic chemistry ended  that dream.  However, never  to be knocked down by adversity, he found success as an engineer, entrepreneur and even a life coach.

Goodman founded his own  business, Goodman Technologies, LLC, in 2016. He is CEO and president of the company, which ofers expertise in materials science, advanced ceramics, additive manufacturing, extreme environments (RF systems, shielding, armor and thermal protection), lasers, as well as corporate coaching. The company has won  several  large  government contacts. In addition to owning his own business, he is a technology partner with Vista  Business Group  and is a member of the Professional Aerospace Contractors Association of New Mexico.

He arrived in Albuquerque in August 1978 and chose UNM because he was a track and field  athlete and was ofered a chance  to be a walk-on for the Lobos, where he later became a letterman. He had never been to New Mexico before, and upon stepping of the ladder of the plane at the Sunport (the days before jetways), he marveled at the blue sky. He earned his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering in 1982.  Some of his favorite memories of UNM include seeing concerts at Johnson Gym when  big names used to play there.  Living in Alvarado Hall, he and his friends discovered a tunnel that would gain them access to the gym, where they could sneak into concerts like REO Speedwagon for free.

He later attended University of California, Los Angeles, where he earned a master’s degree in 1991 and a Ph.D. in 1995, both in materials science  and engineering. He also completed the Small Business Administration Emerging Leaders “Streetwise MBA” program in 2019.

Goodman had a transformative experience on May 5, 1992, when  he was holding his newborn, feeling incredibly lucky and like everything was coming together in his life. Then the unthinkable happened: his infant son died in his arms. The tragedy forced him to either sink or swim. He chose to swim. As part  of his exploration, he became connected with the coaching techniques of famed motivational speaker Tony Robbins in 1997 and has incorporated coaching into his business.

During his career, he has owned three businesses and worked on numerous high-level projects, such as developing the Air Force Advanced Transportation Analysis Code. He has worked in optical manufacturing and optical coatings, and in high-energy laser systems such as the Space Based and Airborne Laser programs for Schafer  Corp. in Los Angeles and Albuquerque. He was vice president for Trex Enterprises in San Diego and vice president for Space Systems for ScorpioV in Hawaii. He has had mirror systems he designed fly on four space missions.

He said his greatest career achievement was being named the New Mexico Small Business Association Person of the Year in 2020. Not one to rest on his laurels, Goodman has big goals ahead, such as to become the state’s first “unicorn,” which is a business owner with a publicly-traded company worth $1 billion. “I’m just getting started.”

He has four children: a sophomore at UNM, a senior and a freshman at La Cueva High School, and an adult daughter in Philadelphia. His hobbies include hockey, weight training, golf and traveling.

Advice  to a freshman engineer: “This is what I call the ultimate success recipe: 1). Have 100% certainty about what you MUST have; 2). Decide AND take action; 3). Evaluate the results of the action; 4). Either achieve what you want or go back to step 2 if needed.”