Michael C. Wilt, Ph.D. '69
In 1992 Dr. Wilt was honored to receive the University’s Alumni Achievement Award. To show his gratitude and appreciation for the opportunity that FSU provided for him to grow and progress he established this eponymous scholarship. Mike believes that opportunity, thanks to the guidance that Dr. Ed Stepp and Mr. Francis Tam provided, helped to inspire the passion for physics that led him on his pursuit of graduate degrees in physics and his eventual career path.
Mike retired from his position as General Manager, Global Engineering and Sustainability at Energizer Holdings, Inc. in April 2013. Prior to his 15 years with Energizer, he began his career at General Electric Company in the lighting business and also gained experience at Harshaw Chemical Company as Director of R & D working in the nuclear detector and crystal growth area.
After leaving GE he joined Rubbermaid and then moved to a small private industrial fabric business, Seaman Corporation in Central Ohio. While in these businesses he held positions of Vice President, Product Development and Vice President, New Business Development which led him to his first position with Energizer as General Manager of Innovation. As a senior executive with comprehensive experience in business development, marketing, sales, engineering and operations in both domestic and international consumer products and OEM businesses, he gained management experience in product, process and manufacturing engineering, total quality and environmental engineering management, plus corporate sourcing and sustainability. His substantial experience in new product development and generating operations productivity plus leadership in developing low cost, highly motivated, team-based, competitive edge organizations highlighted his career. He has significant experience in both high growth, high technology and mature product/market businesses.
Mike received his BA in Physics and Mathematics from Frostburg State in 1969 and his MS in Physics in 1972 from John Carroll University in Ohio. He then went to Catholic University in Washington, D.C. where he received his PhD in Solid State Physics in 1977.
Mike currently owns and operates Apache Trails Enterprises, LLC which trades in buying and selling antique firearms. He is also a member of the Technology Advisory Board for Blue Spark Technologies, the world’s leading producer of solutions for thin film batteries, and has assisted two local non-profit boards on their strategic planning efforts in the last few years.
When not reading about US history, especially the Civil War and old west eras, or scouring auctions for historical items, he is avidly golfing or horseback riding. He attends a “dude ranch” each year in Sheridan WY to hone his skills. Mike has two children, Shannon (in Solon, OH) and Michael (in Arlington, VA) and three grandchildren in Ohio. He has been married to his wife Cynthia for almost 37 years, and they live in a suburb of Cleveland, OH with Apache, their black and white cat.