University of Pittsburgh

Press Release

April 8, 2008

Craig Massello, "Jayhawk" helicopter instructor pilot and recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross graduating April 25 with an MBA/MS industrial engineering degree

Craig Massello is a lieutenant commander in the United States Coast Guard who is graduating from the University of Pittsburgh from the dual MBA/MS-Industrial Engineering program in the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business. After graduation, he will be reassigned to Coast Guard headquarters in Washington, D.C., to serve as an aviation platform manager overseeing the engineering, system upgrades, and budget for one of the Coast Guard's main airframes. He has been with the military for 11 years, and his most recent position was engineering officer and a HH-60J "Jayhawk" helicopter instructor pilot, based out of Clearwater, Fla. During his 2005 tour of duty, Massello and the air and maintenance crews of Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater played a critical role in the evacuation of thousands of Hurricane Katrina victims from Mississippi and Louisiana. He was presented with the Distinguished Flying Cross for his extraordinary heroism. (A high-res photo of Massello is available.) He can be contacted through Barry Kukovich, 412-648-1566 (office), bakukovich@katz.pitt.edu or Amanda Leff, 412-624-4238 (office), 412-337-3350 (cell), or aleff@pitt.edu.