Celebrating Innovation, Service and Future Leaders: The MFESTS 2025 Awards Celebration Night

[Minneapolis, November 9th 2025]

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A Night to Remember

On a crisp autumn evening at Wildfire Restaurant in Eden Prairie, members and friends of the Minnesota Federation of Engineering, Science & Technology Societies (MFESTS) came together to celebrate excellence, community, and vision.

The 2025 MFESTS Awards Dinner brought together engineers, scientists, technologists, educators, and students in a vibrant evening of connection and inspiration. The glow of the restaurant’s lighting mirrored the sense of pride and camaraderie that has defined MFESTS for generations — a federation whose roots stretch back to 1916.

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The Evening Opens: A Speech on Connection and Legacy

As the guests settled in, Antonio Sacin, MFESTS President Pro Tempore for Q4, took the stage to deliver a heartfelt opening address.

In his speech, Antonio reflected on the human side of science and engineering — sharing a story from his childhood about his grandmother, a woman who never had the chance to study science formally but inspired him to love learning and curiosity, nonetheless. Through her kitchen-table lessons on fractions, she sparked his lifelong passion for problem-solving and his appreciation for how human connection fuels innovation.

He reminded the audience that MFESTS was founded on connection: the belief that professionals need each other — across disciplines, across generations, and across communities — to create meaningful progress. Drawing from the federation’s century-long history, he emphasized that “innovation is never a solo act,” and that true collaboration is born from trust, mentorship, and shared purpose.

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Honoring the Awardees

This year’s honorees exemplified the values that MFESTS stands for — excellence in technical achievement, leadership in the community, and dedication to mentoring others:

Jon Ness – Charles W. Britzius Distinguished Engineer Award
Celebrated for a career marked by leadership, innovation, and service to the engineering profession.

Rachel Scheu – Young Engineer of the Year 2025
Recognized for her creative problem-solving, professional growth, and commitment to community engagement.

Rama Sahithi Datla – Young Science & Technology Professional of the Year 2025
Honored for her forward-thinking contributions to technical quality, community service in ASQ and technical mastery in emerging technologies.

Each recipient’s story reflected the spirit of MFESTS — that progress in STEM is not just about individual success, but about shared learning and collective impact.

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A Federation with Deep Roots in History

MFESTS’ story began over a century ago as the Joint Engineering Board of Minnesota, evolving into the Minnesota Federation of Engineering Societies in 1946 and later into MFESTS as it is known today.

With 10 member societies and over 3,000 professionals, MFESTS continues its mission to:

1. Serve its member societies by strengthening professional communities.
2. Engage the broader public by inspiring youth to explore STEM careers.
3. Recognize and develop excellence in engineering, science, and technology.

Antonio Sacin’s remarks reminded attendees that this legacy isn’t static — it’s something that each generation must actively renew through mentorship, ethical practice, and meaningful connection.

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An Evening of Fellowship and Inspiration

As the awards were presented and stories shared, Wildfire’s dining room buzzed with the sound of clinking glasses, laughter, and conversations that bridged disciplines and generations.

Photographs from the evening — of smiles between old colleagues, spontaneous introductions between young professionals and mentors, and the proud faces of this year’s awardees — capture the essence of what MFESTS has always stood for: connection in service of progress.

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Looking Ahead

The 2025 Awards Dinner wasn’t just a night of recognition — it was a reaffirmation of purpose. As Antonio Sacin concluded in his speech, “Innovation doesn’t start with a computer or a code — it starts with a conversation.”MFESTS_2025_Awards_Speech_Anton…

Those conversations — kindled that night — will continue to echo across boardrooms, classrooms, and laboratories throughout Minnesota, shaping a future where technology and humanity advance hand in hand.

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A Grateful Acknowledgement

MFESTS extends heartfelt thanks to:

• Wildfire Restaurant, for its exceptional hospitality and ambiance.
• The MFESTS Executive Committee (Dan Peterson, Venkat Parameshwaran, Shourav Dey, Antonio Sacin), whose dedication sustains this legacy.
• The MFESTS Nominating Societies (ASQ, MnSPE and SAE), for nominating and assisting awardees in completion of their applications and for introducing the awardees at the celebration.
• The Awardees and Attendees, for embodying the values that have guided MFESTS for more than a century.

Together, we continue to build — across fields, across generations, and across communities — toward a future defined by innovation, inclusion, and hope.

#MFESTS2025 #ScienceForSociety #InnovationExcellence

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Links to Other Resources

Professional Licensure

Minnesota Board of Architecture, Engineering, Land Surveying, Landscape Architecture, Geoscience and Interior Design (AELSLAGID) at https://mn.gov/aelslagid/index.html

Community & Youth Outreach Opportunities in Minnesota

• Discover Engineering
• Future City Competition (Minnesota)
• Future City Competition (National)
• MATHCOUNTS (National)
• Minnesota Academy of Science
• Minnesota STEM Network
• Place.org – St. Louis Park
• The WORKS: A Technology Discovery Center
• Tronix Team
• Hack the Gap
• High Tech Kids (Inspiring kids to BUILD confidence, CREATE opportunities and THRIVE in the 21st Century) 
• FIRST LEGO League

Museums

• Bakken Museum
• Science Museum of Minnesota