Each year, MSOE celebrates outstanding alumni who have shown great leadership and accomplishment in their careers and communities by inducting them into the Wall of Distinction, the highest honor an alumnus can receive. This year, five new inductees will join this prestigious honor: Robert Bettinardi ’82, Scott Hoffmann ’88, Keith Kressin ’92, Arindum "Raja" Mukerji ’98 and Dr. Frederick Perner ’67. They will be honored during the Wall of Distinction Ceremony on Friday, November 7. Learn more about each inductee below.
Robert Bettinardi '82
Robert Bettinardi is the founder and president of Bettinardi Golf, a company internationally respected for precision-milled putters and revolutionary “one-piece technology.” After earning his bachelor’s degree in industrial management from MSOE, Robert returned to his family’s manufacturing business before branching out into his own ventures. In 1991, moved by both his passion for golf and his expertise in machining, he developed prototypes of putters made from a single solid block of metal—a method that departed from the usual castings, forgings or welded components. This innovation set a new standard in the golf equipment industry. Robert officially launched Bettinardi Golf in 1998, expanding beyond OEM contracts into creating putters under his own name, complemented by accessories, wedges and apparel. Under his leadership—and now also with his son Sam serving as president—the company continues to grow while maintaining quality, craftsmanship and innovation. Notably, his work has not only built a successful business but has earned recognition in the professional golf world: Bettinardi putters have been used in countless Tour victories globally, affirming both craftsmanship and performance.
Scott Hoffmann '88
Scott began his telecommunications career at Wisconsin Bell, later Ameritech, where he held management positions in engineering, outside plant, marketing and sales. Scott moved to Eau Claire in 1999 as the first employee of the start-up of WIN Technology and has been in the CEO role since. Scott is a co-founder and longtime board member of INDATEL, a nationwide fiber network.
Scott currently serves as past chair of the Chippewa Valley Technical College Foundation Board, past chair of the Eau Claire Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and serves as board treasurer for Pablo Center at the Confluence Performing Arts Center. Scott helped lead the local AYSO youth soccer league in Eau Claire and has coached soccer at all age levels. Scott started the girls' soccer program at Eau Claire Regis High School and was its coach for 17 years. Scott has an electrical engineering degree from MSOE, a master’s degree in electrical and computer engineering from Marquette and an MBA from UW Oshkosh.
Keith Kressin '92
Keith Kressin is a seasoned business and engineering leader with 30 years of experience in semiconductors and high tech. He currently serves as CEO of MemryX, Inc., an innovative semiconductor startup developing solutions to accelerate AI. Keith earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from MSOE, then later a master’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs and his MBA from Cornell University. Before leading MemryX, Keith spent over 13 years at Qualcomm, where he most recently served as senior vice president and general manager. Keith joined Qualcomm at the dawn of the smartphone revolution and played a pivotal role in shaping technologies, strategies and products that have reached well over a billion users worldwide. Before Qualcomm, Keith spent more than eight years at Intel, where he was a business leader instrumental in bringing the first Wi-Fi-enabled laptops to market. Across his engineering and business career at MemryX, Qualcomm, Intel and Texas Instruments, Keith has had a direct impact on multiple technology revolutions—including the rise of servers, desktops, laptops, smartphones, augmented reality and AI. Keith is recognized not only for his deep technical expertise in product management, silicon roadmaps and strategic planning, but also as an ethical business leader and proud father of three children.
Arindum "Raja" Mukerji '98
Arindum “Raja” Mukerji is a seasoned technology leader and entrepreneur who co-founded ExtraHop in 2007, a pioneering cybersecurity company focused on delivering real-time network intelligence and detection & response platforms. A graduate of the computer engineering program, Raja transferred to MSOE during his junior year, having begun his studies at the Manipal Institute of Technology in India. His education at MSOE helped shape his deep interest in both hardware and software systems, a foundation that has guided his technical leadership. Before founding ExtraHop, Raja spent several years at F5 Networks as a Senior Software Architect, where he played a key role in designing the BIG-IP v9 platform and was instrumental in driving forward application delivery and network protocol innovations. Before F5, he also worked in the financial services sector at Strong Capital Management. Under his leadership, ExtraHop has grown to serve enterprises globally, with groundbreaking products that leverage machine learning and AI to detect threats and analyze network behavior in real time. The work he has done has earned recognition both for technological innovation and for building a strong organizational culture. Outside of work, Raja is known for his passion for music and for his commitment to nurturing the next generation of engineers.
Dr. Frederick Perner '67
Dr. Fred Perner has over 40 years of experience in the field of semiconductor electronics as a semiconductor technologist. This career path began after earning a bachelor’s degree from MSOE in electrical engineering, where he joined IBM, becoming an expert in semiconductor modeling. He went on to earn his master's degree from Syracuse University and his Ph.D. from Stanford University. In 1980, he moved to Hewlett-Packard (HP) Labs, where he specialized in memory design. His groundbreaking "equi-potential isolation" solution was crucial for the development of modern MRAM and memristor memories. His work at HP resulted in 186 U.S. patents.