In Memoriam

CETA notes with deep sadness the death of Joseph T. Buonagurio, a senior studying Mechanical engineering here, in an automobile accident on Sunday, April 19 in his hometown of Yorktown, New York.

Buonagurio worked on his senior design project with fellow student Owen Leakfeldt. Their project, a wear-testing machine for Pratt & Whitney, won first prize in the student design competition held at the University in December 2008 and sponsored by the ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers). They moved on to the Hartford Region competition at the University of Connecticut in March of this year. Their project was selected to represent the University of Hartford at the ASME regionals (ASME Region A), where senior design projects from New England and New York were presented at Tufts University on April 18.

One of Joe’s professors, Dr. Tom Filburn recalls Joe as someone who was “interested in learning , hard working, and provided insight into many of the technical subjects discussed in class.” Buonagurio’s classmates remember him as a likable person and a hard-working student who loved cars.

The funeral will take place Friday, April 24, at 10a.m. at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church, in Shrub Oak, New York. The University will hold a memorial service at the family's convenience, with the date and time to be announced shortly.

The faculty, staff, and students of CETA join in expressing their profound sympathy to the Buonagurio family.