Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award

2023 Recipient Anne Fredsall Michelini '78

Anne Fredsall Michelini '78 graduated from Bucknell with a degree in chemical engineering and earned a master's degree in business administration from Widener University. She held expanding roles in capital project leadership and strategic planning for more than 40 years and is a dedicated volunteer focused on STEM education.

Michelini's career spans a host of engineering disciplines and technology sectors, including energy, petroleum, nuclear and electronics. She has provided leadership on multiple capital projects and has performed in multiple roles including process engineering, estimating, cost control, strategic planning and execution.

Michelini retired in 2022 from Covanta, a world leader in sustainable waste and energy solutions, following roles as senior vice president engineering and construction and vice president, international projects.

In her tenure with Covanta, Michelini developed execution strategies and partnership relationships that were implemented on large capital projects in the U.S., China and the UK. She provided overall leadership for capital project execution for a portfolio of more than $2 billion as well as engineering evaluations for new energy from waste facilities being developed worldwide. She led efforts for the continued operability and capital support of 40 such facilities across North America.

Prior to Covanta, Michelini was the engineering and construction leader for DuPont's Performance Materials $6 billion product line, with responsibility for a multimillion–dollar capital portfolio spanning more than 25 sites around the world. She worked in a variety of roles at DuPont over multiple decades.

Michelini currently advises private equity on acquisitions requiring capital investment. She was named the Philadelphia Engineers Club Engineer of the Year in 2022.

Michelini has been a frequent community supporter as well. She spent six years as a director of the Unionville–Chadds Ford School Board, serving as vice president and chair of the Building Committee during four elementary school expansions. Her passion for education also extends to volunteer mentoring at Women Unlimited to provide a safe relationship for up-and-coming women to share career goals, benchmark best practices and drive their career progression.

A licensed professional engineer, Michelini has served the industry as part of the implementation committee at the Construction Industry Institute, a consortium of owners, contractors and educators. She has also served on the board of and as a volunteer for First States Robotics and has been actively involved with engineering outreach to high school students.

Michelini and her husband, Gene, have four children, all of whom studied engineering as undergraduates and have gone on to successful careers.