Emerging Leader Awards

2026

The Emerging Leader Award honors recent alumni of McKelvey Engineering who exemplify leadership and continued service through scientific excellence, innovation and collaboration. This award highlights the positive impact alumni make on their local community, the country and the world.

2026 McKelvey Engineering Emerging Leaders. From left: Aaron Bobick, Eric Jensen, Jeff Gamble, Rebecca Vincent, Grant Taylor Williams

Jeff Gamble

Jeff Gamble
MS '15, PhD '17

Jeff Gamble is a health-care operator and product leader focused on redesigning how care is delivered in the United States.

Trained in biomedical engineering and neural engineering, Gamble has spent his research career working at the intersection of biological systems and computational intelligence. His research explores how neural networks — both biological and artificial — can be leveraged to develop novel interventions for functional disabilities. This technical foundation has shaped his system-oriented approach to solving complex healthcare challenges.

Gamble is the founder and chief operating officer of Rezilient Health, a tech-enabled health-care services company pioneering a hybrid care delivery model that integrates virtual medicine with physical “CloudClinics.” Under his leadership, Rezilient has built a vertically integrated platform combining software, clinical operations, and multispecialty care to expand access, improve patient experience, and lower costs for employers and health systems.

Since its founding, Rezilient has raised $30 million in funding and established strategic partnerships with major health systems, universities, and other employers to scale its model nationally. Rezilient currently has 15 locations across four states and has served tens of thousands of patients to date, with plans to continue to rapidly grow its services into new geographic markets. Gamble leads product strategy, company operations, and organizational growth, translating engineering principles into operational systems that drive measurable health-care outcomes.

Prior to Rezilient, Gamble founded SnapPEAS, an AI-powered nutrition platform: worked part-time in a product role at Neurolutions, a WashU startup that created the first FDA-approved brain- computer interface: and has advised startups and investors on commercializing advanced technologies through the InSITE program.

As an alumnus, Gamble has been involved with the Department of Biomedical Engineering speaker series and with the Skandalaris Center for Interdisciplinary Innovation and Entrepreneurship, leveraging his experience to help advance continued innovation and the development of technology for care.

Gamble earned a Bachelor of Science in biomedical engineering with a minor in neuroscience from Duke University in 2011. He completed a master’s degree and doctorate in biomedical engineering at WashU in 2015 and 2017, respectively.


Eric Jensen

Eric Jensen
BS '08

 

An expert in aerospace and geospatial intelligence, Eric Jensen is a business leader, engineer, STEM champion, and advocate for veterans. He serves as the chief executive officer and a member of the board of directors at ICEYE US, an industry-leading remote sensing firm based in southern California that offers and operates radar imaging satellites. By delivering real-time monitoring of global economic activity, the company empowers U.S. government, allied, and commercial partners to make more accurate, timely decisions for the betterment of society. Before his current role, Jensen was the firm’s president.

Before moving into business development and strategy, Jensen served in various engineering leadership positions in civil, defense, and national mission domains. Prior to serving ICEYE US, Jensen spent more than a decade at the Boeing Company, where he began his career as a design engineer within Phantom Works, a division focused on advanced national security programs. He went on to direct Boeing Satellite Services, guiding the organization responsible for critical connectivity and infrastructure for United States senior leaders, and later became vice president of Boeing Commercial Satellite Systems, leading the team delivering advanced communication satellites to global customers.

Jensen is a dedicated member of the external advisory board for the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science within McKelvey Engineering. He is also a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization, a global leadership community.

Originally from St. Louis, Jensen earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from WashU in 2008. Upon graduating, he moved to the west coast and completed a Master of Science in mechanical engineering from the University of Southern California while working full-time. He subsequently earned a master’s degree in business administration from the University of California Los Angeles.


Rebecca Vincent

Rebecca Vincent
BS '08

 

An experienced supply chain executive, Rebecca Vincent has an extensive track record of developing solutions and driving efficiencies in supplier planning, distribution, and network design. She is passionate about people, positive change, and problem-solving.

In 2022, Vincent joined Cisco as the director of product operations for the Industrial Internet of Things. Two years later, the company expanded her role to include enterprise routing, wireless networking, and Meraki vision and sensors. She is also the pillar sponsor for iWise iBelong.

Prior to joining Cisco, Vincent worked at Tesla in multiple supply chain roles, beginning in new product introduction material planning for the Model X launch. She later moved to service and energy supply chain management, encompassing many facets of supply chain operations, including demand forecasting, warehousing and distribution, last leg logistics, remanufacturing, and more. She began her career in manufacturing with GE Energy on the operations management leadership program, which offers extensive lean manufacturing training and four diverse rotations in steam turbine manufacturing, GE water logistics, and nuclear fuel manufacturing.

At WashU, Vincent was a Danforth Scholar and an active member of the Society of Women Engineers, a student organization that empowers women and allies in engineering and technology around the world. She is a dedicated supporter of engineering scholarships and the McKelvey Annual Fund.

Vincent earned a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering from WashU in 2008.


Grant Taylor Williams

Grant Taylor Williams
BS '07, BS '07, MS '09

 

Grant Taylor Williams is a principal solution engineer at Salesforce, where he leads pre-sales efforts for enterprise clients in the high-tech industry. He quarterbacks complex, matrixed selling motions from a technical perspective, developing business cases, running executive-level workshops, and closing dozens of multiyear, multicloud software-as-a-service (SaaS) deals. Known for bridging deep technical knowledge with strategic business acumen, he is respected in the board room but equally admired at the office for mentoring the next generation of solution engineers.

Before Salesforce, Williams’ career traced an unconventional and entrepreneurial arc. He began as an electronics engineer at Northrop Grumman’s research and development division, identifying nascent technologies and overseeing investment in advanced technology programs. He then transitioned to investment banking at Lincoln International, developing mergers and acquisitions investment theses and financial growth strategies for technology sector clients. He co- founded Tempo Beverage, raising $750,000 from angel investors, opening over 100 retail accounts across the Chicago area including Whole Foods, and ultimately negotiating the company’s sale to a strategic acquirer.

Outside of work, Williams is committed to expanding access and opportunity in STEM. He volunteers with Girls 4 Science, inspiring K-12 students to pursue careers in science and engineering, and with Volunteer Medical Engineers, applying his technical background to serve the medical and humanitarian communities.

As a WashU undergraduate, Williams was deeply engaged in the engineering community. He served as President of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers student chapter, contributed to the beloved Vertigo “dance floor” project, was a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon, and claimed the Intramural Badminton Championship.

Williams earned bachelor’s degrees in electrical engineering and in computer engineering, and a Master of Science in electrical engineering — with a thesis on a head trauma medical device — from WashU on a full-tuition scholarship. He also completed an MBA at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.