• Home
      • |
    • Randy J. Cleveland Engineering Student Center

Randy J. Cleveland Engineering Student Center

Randy J. Cleveland Engineering Student Center

Events

Professional Communication Writing Tutors
Tuesdays 12:00 P.M. - 2:00 P.M.
Thursdays 12:00 P.M. - 3:30 P.M.

Shackouls Honors College Advising/Mentoring
First and Third Thursdays of each month
11:00 A.M. - 1:00 P.M.

Prestigious External Scholarships Advising and Mentoring
Tuesdays 2:00 Р.М. - 4:00 P.M.

The Randy J. Cleveland Engineering Student Center, a state-of-the-art facility and new central hub for Bagley College of Engineering students at Mississippi State, is now open thanks to a generous gift from Randy Cleveland, a 1983 magna cum laude graduate in petroleum engineering, and Nina Cleveland. The Fort Worth, Texas, couple has a long history of supporting Mississippi State, with gifts that have benefited faculty, scholarships and student success initiatives across campus.

The newly renovated 7,870-square-foot center, housed in the former materials testing laboratory between McCain Hall and Walker Engineering, demonstrates a continued commitment to student success and collaboration in one of MSU’s most historic campus buildings.

The Mississippi Department of Archives and History recognized the original building, which dates to 1906, as a Mississippi Landmark. Renovations include a building extension and a new second floor with a student makerspace and multiple team rooms to support project-based learning and innovation.

Randy Cleveland

“When I step back and think about my time on campus, I realize what I gained at MSU was so much more than just an education—it was the building blocks of how to be truly successful,” said Randy Cleveland. “It’s always been important to us to give back in support and recognition of those things that helped us be successful.”

Cleveland, a 1983 petroleum engineering grad and a Newton County native, was valedictorian of his high school class in 1979. He was inducted into the Mississippi State University Engineering Student Hall of Fame. He and Nina Ward, of Demopolis, Alabama, were married in 1983. He was named an Engineering Distinguished Fellow in 2008, Engineering Alumnus of the Year in 2019 and MSU’s National Alumnus of the Year in 2022. Cleveland was instrumental in the 2014 re-establishment of MSU’s petroleum engineering program and currently serves on the dean’s advisory council for the Bagley College of Engineering.  He also serves as vice chair of the MSU Foundation board of directors. He is a member of Tau Beta Pi, the national engineering honor society.

Cleveland enjoyed a distinguished career of more than 35 years in the oil and gas industry with Exxon Mobil Corporation, where he succeeded to progressively larger and broader roles. He served as President of XTO Energy, Inc. following its merger with Exxon Mobil in 2010 and retired in 2019 as Vice President, Americas, Exxon Mobil.