Detroit Mercy alumni Michael Vinarcik ’04 and Susan Wellman-Smith ’04 received honors from the Engineering Society of Detroit’s Affiliate Council at the 55th annual Gold Award Reception and Recognition on March 18.

Vinarcik is an adjunct professor in the systems engineering graduate program at UDM and received the 2026 Gold Award, the society’s second-highest honor. It is awarded to someone who has made outstanding contributions to the fields of science and engineering.

Wellman-Smith, an applications engineer at Ford, received two awards: the Past Affiliate Council Chair Award for her exceptional service as chair from 2024-25, and the Consistent Contributor Award from the Detroit section of the Society of Women Engineers.

Both earned a Master of Product Development from UDM. Vinarcik has 30 years of experience in automotive and defense engineering and is nationally recognized for his work, including publications on model-based engineering. Wellman-Smith has spent more than 30 years in the automotive industry.