By Dan FletcherThe Daily Northwestern

Myke Minbiole, a 29-year-old McCormick alumnus acclaimed for his skill as a mechanical engineer, was killed in a hit-and-run accident in Chicago on Sunday.

Minbiole died shortly after the car he was driving collided with another vehicle near the intersection of Grand Avenue and Franklin Street downtown. A passenger in his car survived and was listed in good condition on Monday.

Minbiole co-authored a textbook while he was a Northwestern undergraduate. Prof. Richard Lueptow, co-author of “Graphics Concepts with SolidWorks” with Minbiole, said he was shocked when he heard about the news. Minbiole was a rare talent, even as an undergraduate, Lueptow said.

“There are very few situations where someone that young will be writing a textbook with a professor,” he said.

Lueptow said he was working with Minbiole on a research project when Lupetow asked for help in making some engineering design figures for the textbook. He said the contributions eventually evolved to the point where Minbiole was writing full chapters and sections.

The two kept in touch after Minbiole’s graduation to update the textbook each year, Lueptow said.

“I know he was really enjoying life,” he said. “He was really successful, from what I’ve heard.”

Prof. Kevin Lynch said Minbiole was unusually skilled in McCormick’s design competition, winning the traditionally team competition by himself in 2001.

“The climax was a one-on-one robot shoving match that developed in the middle of the course,” Lynch said. Minbiole’s robot eventually won the competition by flipping a switch, the objective of the course.

Minbiole’s friends and coworkers said his intelligence extended to areas outside of engineering too.

“He was not just smart, he was highly creative and intensely focused,” said Tom Bulic, a classmate of Minbiole’s at NU. “He was a very passionate person.”

Bulic, McCormick ’01, said he met Minbiole when they lived on the same dorm floor during Bulic’s freshman year. He said they hit it off immediately.

“From pretty much day one, we were good friends right from the get-go,” he said.

Minbiole was a “magnetic” person and someone everyone wanted to be around, Bulic said.

“We weren’t too much into the clubs and things,” he said. “We just hung out with friends and watched movies. Things like that.”

After graduation, Minbiole worked at Northrop Grumman, an engineering firm located in Rolling Meadows. Eric Grossman, McCormick ’05, worked for Minbiole on projects for the company.

“He was a definite mentor figure for me,” he said.

Minbiole had a unique sense of humor that he put to use even in the office, Grossman said.

“There were a lot of office pranks,” he said. “Whenever I left my PC unlocked, he’d mess with my settings and make it really hard to use. I’d get him back with doublestick tape on some of his things.”

But above all else, Grossman said Minbiole’s intelligence shined through.

“He was very, very bright,” he said. “I had a lot to learn from him.”

Minbiole is survived by his wife, Julie, and his parents, Paul and Patti.

Services were held Thursday at Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago.

Reach Dan Fletcher at [email protected].