NEWS

Louisiana Tech University’s College of Engineering & Science will present its 2010 Distinguished Alumni Awards on Friday, January 29. These awards recognize individuals from each program or discipline of the College for their professional accomplishments in engineering and science as well as serving as outstanding ambassadors for Louisiana Tech University.

The College’s Foundation’s Board of Directors will also present its annual awards. The 2010 program award recipients include:

• Tom Wendell, 1987, Biomedical Engineering – Field Clinical Engineer for Medtronic, Inc., Blythewood, SC
• Bill Wayne Ponder, 1956, Chemistry – Director of Chemistry at Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA
• Michael Joe Kern, 1971, Chemical Engineering – Vice-President of the Huntsman Corporation, The Woodlands, TX
• John Kelly, 1979, Civil Engineering (deceased) – District Administrator, District 5, Louisiana Department of Transportation
• Norman Percy Graham, Jr., 1985, Computer Science – Vice-President of Product Development at ArcMail Technology, Shreveport, LA
• Charles Gandy, 1955, Electrical Engineering – National Security Administration retired, Annapolis, MD
• Captain Brian Harrison, 1984, Electrical Engineering Technology – Commanding Officer, Naval Support Activity, New Orleans, LA
• James Pruett, 1968, Industrial Engineering – Assistant to the Vice Chancellor of Academic, Faculty, & Student Affairs at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN
• Ruth Ellen Hanna, 1966, Mathematics and Statistics – Professor Emeritus, Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, LA
• Elton Calhoun, 1969, Mechanical Engineering – President, Regional Steel Products, Inc., Victoria, TX
• Henry Bert Crawley, 1962, Physics – Professor of Physics at Iowa State University, Ames, IA

The annual internal Engineering and Science Foundation Awards recognize faculty and staff who have demonstrated extraordinary commitment and service to the College.  This year Dr. Heath Tims, Dr. Michael Swanbom, and Dr. Kelly Crittenden will be recognized for their work with the students participating in the Shell Eco-marathon Americas event.

The external awards are given to friends or alumni of the College who have given extraordinary levels of service to the College and its students. This year’s honorees include:

• Tim Petrus, 1976, Senior Vice-President, XTO Energy (Exxon), Ft. Worth, TX
• Harold Thomas, 1971, Entergy Corporation, Bastrop, LA
• Larry Rewerts, HR Manager, PPG Industries, Lake Charles, LA

Don Stacy, who graduated from Tech in 1957, will also be recognized by the foundation. He is the former Chairman and President of Amoco Eurasia Petroleum Company in Houston, TX.

Written by Catherine Fraser