Leviton's NYIT alumni: Marc Noest (B.S. '84), Ed Krajci (B.S. '73), Satya Bagchee (M.B.A. '83), Al Lombardi (B.S. '87), Steve Campolo (B.T. '82), Parimal Patel (M.S. '05), Joseph DeConinck (B.S. '87), Paul Endres (B.S. '95), Rony Jacob (B.S. '10), Chris Spano (B.S. '08), George Hatzigeorgiadis (B.T. '02), Rodolfo DeMera (A.A.S. '91), Ben Moadel (B.T. '05), Paul Fischer (B.S. '04), and Paul Soccoli (B.S. '94).

By Michael Schiavetta (M.A. '07)

Just off exit 49 on the Long Island Expressway, nearly 20 NYIT graduates are designing the future.

Working at Melville, N.Y.-based Leviton, a global electrical and data systems manufacturer founded in 1906, they serve as part of an engineering legacy that is renowned for pioneering safe electrical products found in nearly every home and business. The company itself holds more than 600 patents for revolutionary designs such as the ground fault circuit interrupter and touch dimmer, with NYIT alumni responsible for approximately 100 of these innovations.

Take Steve Campolo (B.T. '82), who holds 30 patents. One of his first projects in the 1980s was to help improve the design of a commonplace household fixture. "We were called upon by the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission to find a way to make hair dryers safer because people were being electrocuted when the devices came in contact with water," says Campolo. The result was an immersion detector that would interrupt the flow of electricity in the hair dryer when submerged in water. For his efforts, Campolo and his team received the Green Cross of Safety Award from the National Safety Council, and company founder Harold Leviton received a personal letter of appreciation from the chair of the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission.

"New products are the lifeblood of the company," says Campolo, quoting management's philosophy. "And it comes from creative people, many of whom are engineers. We encourage them to dream up new ideas and obtain patents. Many of those are engineers because of NYIT, and Leviton has always looked favorably upon engineers."

In addition to making hair dryers safer, Campolo chaired the technical committee for the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, which was responsible for introducing warning tags on extension cords (now one of the safety requirements for Underwriters Laboratories, a global product safety testing and certification organization).

Campolo's story is one of many at Leviton's headquarters. Marc Noest (B.S. '84), senior director of product management, holds seven patents in the areas of lighting and weatherproofing, including one of the first Energy Star products (a compact fluorescent ceiling lampholder) approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

With 20 patents to his name, Senior Director of Engineering Alfred J. Lombardi (B.S. '87) recalls how his alma mater provided valuable career guidance. "NYIT prepared me by giving me practical knowledge of engineering and adjusting to the business world," he says.

Commodity Director Satya Bagchee (M.B.A. '83) agrees, noting how his NYIT professors provided a solid foundation of discipline and technical skills, including "marketing, identifying functions, and other business aspects," he says. "I did not have an understanding of this until I received direction when earning my M.B.A. degree."

Leviton and NYIT continue to work together training engineers and employing them to develop new and improved products, obtain patents, and blend electrical safety, energy savings, and technical excellence.

As Leviton's longest-serving NYIT alumnus, Senior Project Engineer Edward Krajci (B.S. '73) is proud of the electrical and engineering contributions Leviton and his fellow alumni have brought to the world.

"We have always been a family-oriented company and give people a feeling that they are part of a common goal," he says. His NYIT education, he adds, provided him with the engineering expertise to develop 10 patents for products that are still being sold today, such as incandescent and fluorescent dimmers as well as full-range motor speed controls for residential consumers and equipment manufacturers.

Krajci also credits NYIT with making his job interview with Leviton go smoothly. "I was sending out resumes after graduating from NYIT," he says. "I was interviewed by Leviton on Friday and started work the following Tuesday."

Leviton Patents Held by NYIT Alumni (Patent No./Title)

For more information, please visit the U.S. Patent Office (uspto.gov).

Joe DeConinck (B.S. '87)

7370840                      Laptop Computer Security Retainer Device

7327276                      Security System for Power and Display of Consumer Electronic Devices

7209038                      Security System for Power and Display of Consumer Electronic Devices

7101187                      B1 Rotatable Electrical Connector

7002467                      Alarm Interface System

6861953                      B2 Security Device for Having a Releasable Electronic Connection

6459374                      Anti-Theft Computer Security System

6285283                      Securing Anchoring System

6215400                      Tag Sensor

Marc Noest (B.S. '84)

7862350                      Combination Device including a Guidelight and Electrical Component

7227079                      Weatherproof Cover with Disconnect Switch

7431594                      Telescoping Weather Resistant Box

D532380                      Telescoping Weather Resistant Box

D564129                      Ceiling Lampholder to accept a Fluorescent Lamp

D577854                      Ceiling Lampholder to accept a Fluorescent Lamp

ZL2006800401937    Ceiling Lampholder to accept a Non-Incandescent Lamp (China Patent)

Paul Endres (B.S. '95)

7700888                      Switch with Shaped Face 

7513802                      Lamp Base Adapter 

7435903                      Wall Plate with One Opening for One of More Wiring Devices 

7265308                      Rocker Paddle Switch with Semi-Rigid Cam Driver 

7250580                      Switch with Shaped Face 

7247792                      Wall Plate with One Opening for One or More Wiring Devices 

7176380                      Alignment Plate for Wiring Device 

7126070                      Rocker Paddle Switch with Flexible Cam Driver 

7122754                      Rocker Paddle Switch with Articulated Cam Driver 

D519455                     Mogul or Medium Base Lamp Holder 

7034236                      Rocker Paddle Switch with Semi-Rigid Cam Driver 

7030318                      Alignment Plate for Wiring Device 

6979791                      Rocker Paddle Switch with Articulated Cam Driver 

6979790                      Rocker Paddle Switch with Flexible Cam Driver 

6875940                      Robust Rocker Switch Mechanism 

6290522                      Fluorescent Lampholder 

5964615                      Snap-In Lampholder with Insulation Displacement Contacts 

5711689                      Reverse Wire Termination Device 

5624287                      Reverse Wire Termination Device 

5533916                      Reverse Wire Termination Device 

D304716                     Fluorescent Lamp Socket 

Paul Soccoli (B.S. '94)

7800049                     Adjustable Low Voltage Occupancy Sensor

6289404                     Apparatus for and Method of Placing a Node in an Unconfigured State

6275163                     Automatic Switch Dimmer Device

7164588                     Snap-In Printed Circuit Board Holder

6031750                     Constant Current Supply Over a Wide Range of Input Voltages

7560696                     Adjustable Sensor

7211798                     Occupancy Wall Sensor

Ben Moadel (B.T. '05)

7558034                     Bi-Directional Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter

Ed Krajci (B.S. '73)

US2005/0211538     Architectural Rotary and Slide Controls

D479205                    Rotary Dimmer and Fan Speed Controls

US5854519               Asymmetrical AC Trigger Simulation

US7170022               Architectural Rotary and Slide Controls

US5703458               Capacitor Type Motor Speed Controller

D380453                    Rotary Switch Enclosure

D381313                    Quiet Fan Controller Enclosure

Steve Campolo (B.T. '82)

4694223                    Thermal Sensor for Lighting Fixtures

5255866                    Apparatus for Isolating a Cord Member from Tension

5283429                    Fiber Optical Monitoring System for Electrical Conductors

5642248                    Electrical Safety Extension Cord

5758764                    Zero Bounce Switch

5901027                    Metal Oxide Varistor Having Thermal Protection

5967840                    Receptacle Incorporating Fiber Optic Communication

6088205                    Arc-Fault Detector with Circuit Interrupter

6176717                    Electrical Safety Extension Cord with Interrupter

6252488                    Metal Oxide Varistor having Thermal Protection

6290522                    Lampholder for Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp

6433978                    Arc-Fault Detector with Circuit Interrupter

6639769                    Arc-Fault Detector with Circuit Interrupter

6864769                    Lockout Mechanism for Residual Current Device

6937452                    Reverse Wiring Detect in Circuit Interrupting Devices

7031125                    Reset Lockout for Sliding Latch GFCI

7049910                    Circuit Interrupting Device and Manufacturing Method

7136266                    Leakage Current Detecting Extension Cord

D537745                   Double Lampholder with GFCI

D538038                   Lampholder with Front-Mounted GFCI

D539742                   Single Lampholder with GFCI

7196886                   Reverse Wiring Detect Interrupting Device

7400477                   Method of Distribution (GFCI Lockout/Miswire)

7440246                   Circuit Interrupter with Remote Test and Reset

7492558                   Reset Lockout for Sliding Latch GFCI

7532444                   Leakage Current Monitor

7558034                   Bi-Directional GFCI

7558034                   Over-Current Protection Device

7889466                   Bi-Directional Fault Interrupter

More Alumni Notes

Spring 2011 Table of Contents