Engineering a lifetime of impact






From developing high-pressure sodium street light bulbs to building turbine blades for U.S. Navy fighter jet engines, Philip Stec, E’72, ME’75, has achieved much during his career and life. His latest milestone? Making his 50th consecutive gift to Northeastern University.
A Massachusetts native, Stec arrived at Northeastern in 1968, following in the footsteps of his older brother Bob. He majored in mechanical engineering and completed co-ops at companies known today as Wakefield Bearing Company, Osram Sylvania, Kinautics, and RTX Corporation during his time as an undergraduate.
“I really liked all my co-ops and enjoyed the hands-on experiences,” Stec says. “I also liked that Northeastern taught me theoretical lessons and combined them with practical applications. That helped me successfully work for a variety of different companies.”
After earning his bachelor’s degree, Stec stayed at Northeastern to pursue his master’s in engineering. During his studies, he learned that companies were offering to cover tuition costs and decided to find a full-time job. Thanks to his diverse co-op experiences, Stec received three job offers. He accepted the offer from General Electric Aircraft Engine Group, now GE Aerospace, a company he had long dreamed to work for.
“I would encourage all alumni to give back to the university that gave them the knowledge and know-how to have a successful career. Lots of the experiences I had back then made a real difference, and that’s why I’m a 50-year alumni donor.”
—Phil Stec, E’72, ME’75
At GE Aerospace, Stec began his career in a rotational engineering development program, and over the years, advanced through the company. After more than a decade, he was promoted to principal engineer and served as a mechanical design engineer while leading a team of design draftsmen, aerodynamic, heat transfer, stress and life, aeromechanic, casting, and manufacturing engineers to design turbine blades for the cutting-edge F414 jet engine.
Stec and his team started from scratch to create an all-new turbine blade design, and met all their technical goals while closely managing the project’s budget and schedule. These single crystal, air-cooled turbine blades they designed over 30 years ago continue to be manufactured by GE Aerospace today. Thanks to their exceptional performance and impressive durability, they are still actively used in the Navy’s F-18 fighter jets. Additionally, Stec holds the U.S. patent for the innovative damper design used in the blades.
The success of the F414 jet engine’s turbine blades led to Stec’s promotion to subsection manager of turbine airfoils design, a position he held for over 12 years. This role allowed him to become a full-time member of both the turbine design board and the materials and process engineering design board, both of which were responsible for establishing the engineering standards used in the development of new turbine components.
One of Stec’s most memorable career moments was in 2007, when Northeastern’s then-new president, Joseph E. Aoun, visited GE Aerospace. The company employed a number of Northeastern alumni, and President Aoun hosted a luncheon to meet them. Stec learned about President Aoun’s vision for the university, and had a one-on-one conversation with him. “President Aoun meeting with us meant a lot to me,” recalls Stec. “It encouraged me to contribute to the alumni program.”
After more than 42 years at GE Aerospace, Stec retired in 2016. This year, he made his 50th consecutive philanthropic gift to Northeastern. He’s a longtime member of the Northeastern Loyalty Society (NLS), a group of dedicated alumni donors who have made gifts for more than two years in a row.
“Through their consistent, annual contributions, NLS members like Phil represent the strength of alumni philanthropy in action and are essential to enabling Northeastern to maintain its momentum,” says Elizabeth Crowley, senior associate director of annual giving and staff liaison for the NLS. “Fifty consecutive years of giving is a remarkable milestone, and we are honored to have Phil as part of our community of nearly 7,000 NLS members whose collective impact shapes the future of the university.”
After five decades of philanthropy, Stec hopes that he’s making a meaningful difference in the lives of the next generation of students, just like Northeastern did for him.
“I would encourage all alumni to give back to the university that gave them the knowledge and know-how to have a successful career,” Stec says. “Lots of the experiences I had back then made a real difference, and that’s why I’m a 50-year alumni donor today.”
This article was originally written by Victoria Tsang.