Justin Vala, P.E., a 2003 graduate of the UNL College of Engineering with a degree in chemical engineering, will be honored as an outstanding alumnus on Friday, April 11, during the 2025 Nebraska Medallion Dinner.
Vala, a senior vice president of engineering and construction within the Tenaska Development Group, leads the team responsible for all technical aspects of new energy project origination and development. Through his leadership, Tenaska has diversified its technical capabilities to include renewables such as wind, solar, and battery storage, as well as hydrogen and carbon capture and storage verticals. This expansion has enabled the origination of a large volume of attractive projects for Tenaska and its partners. Additionally, he is a member of Tenaska’s Executive Leadership Board.
Before accepting his current role in 2021, Vala served as vice president of engineering at Tenaska, leading the development and construction of four utility-scale wind power projects with a total nameplate capacity of approximately 800 megawatts.
Prior to joining Tenaska in 2008, Vala worked at ExxonMobil as a technology engineer, plant engineer, and energy coordinator, primarily in the Olefins Group. A registered professional engineer in Nebraska, he is also a member of the UNL Chemical Engineering Department Advisory Board and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers.
In addition to being honored along with eight additional UNL alumni and recipients of the Family Tree Award at the Medallion Dinner, Vala will have various meetings on campus with faculty and students, visit a Capstone Course, and host a seminar for engineering students, faculty and staff at 2 p.m. in Othmer Hall B201 entitled: “Key Considerations for Deploying Emerging Power Generation Technologies in the Growing and Evolving US Energy Sector.”
The Alumni Masters program is sponsored by the Nebraska Alumni Association, the Student Alumni Association, and the UNL Chancellor’s Office.