Five MSU students honored as delegates for international convention
December 7, 2006
The Foundation for Metal Casting Education (FEF), based in Schaumburg, Ill., held its 59th annual College Industry Conference in Chicago November 16-17. The conference brought together 177 industry executives, 91 student delegates, 31 key professors and numerous university administrators. In attendance, representing Mississippi State University, was Cornelia Hayes, Sr. Mechanical Engineering; Robert Neel, Sr. Mechanical Engineering; Phillip Pratt, Sr. Mechanical Engineering; Jeremy Mowry, Mechanical Engineering Master’s candidate and Kyle Thompson, Mechanical Engineering Master’s candidate. MSU’s Key Professor was Mechanical Engineering professor, John Berry.
The FEF chose 31 Key Professors from colleges and universities across North America to select student delegates from their respective schools to attend the conference as well. Key Professors are chosen on the basis of interest and research in the metal casting field. Students are selected by their professors based on activeness in student programs and demonstration of exceptional potential.
“When I chose our student delegates, I chose individuals who have participated in the affairs of our AFS student chapter and who show promise in the field,” said Key Professor Berry. “All of these students were very deserving of the honor.”
During the two-day event, participants were able to network with some of the top leaders in the medal casting industry. Participants had the opportunity to attend presentations from a few of the 36 companies represented to learn more about the industry and the companies in particular.
One of the highlights of the conference was the awards ceremony where students, faculty and industries were recognized for outstanding achievement. Several competitive scholarships, totaling $54,500, were awarded during the ceremony, one going to MSU’s Jeremy Mowry.
Mowry, of Pheba, Miss., received one of the coveted $2000 FEF scholarships during the conference that was awarded for his active role in the MSU American Foundry Society student chapter. Mowry is the former Chair of MSU’s AFS student chapter. He is a graduate student in Mechanical Engineering as is sponsored by the Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems (CAVS), one of the Bagley College of Engineering research facilities at MSU. Mowry has worked closely with CAVS Chair Professor, Mark Horstemeyer, on his thesis, High Rate Dynamics of Materials.
“The national recognition that Jeremy received from FEF reflects the great work that Jeremy has done,” said Horstemeyer. “Every thing he does is completed with excellence.”
Mississippi State University is one of only 25 institutions accredited worldwide by the Foundation, in addition to 14 affiliated schools. The Foundation helps support excellence in education at these schools with additional funding allocations, special scholarships and monies reserved by donors specifically each institution.
The date for the 2007 FEF conference has already been posted, and is set for November 8-10 in Chicago at the Drake Hotel.