MSU engineering college recognizes distinguished alumni
March 10, 2005
March 10, 2005
Nine business and industry leaders who carved out successful careers after graduating from Mississippi State’s Bagley College of Engineering are being honored as 2005 Distinguished Fellows.
The alumni received plaques and personal congratulations from college Dean Kirk H. Schulz during a recent ceremony at the university’s Hunter Henry Center.
“We are extremely proud of the accomplishments of our alumni and are honored to recognize these nine for their great success,” said Schulz.
Those honored by the college included A. George Bennett of Starkville; R. Steven Boggan and D. Paul Sparks Jr., both of Birmingham, Ala.; James C. Davis of Atlanta, Ga.; Douglas J. Marchant of Memphis, Tenn.; James L. McRae of Meridian; Army Lt. Gen. Carl A. Strock of Fort Belvoir, Va.; Charles D. Taylor of Collierville, Tenn.; and Van M. Wardlaw of Chattanooga, Tenn.
“As I travel across the United States, I am continually amazed by the exceptional levels of achievement of many of our engineering alumni,” added Schulz. “I have met a remarkable number of chief executive officers, presidents, vice presidents, faculty members, and leaders in the profession who all share a common heritage as engineering graduates of Mississippi State University.”
LOCAL EDITORS: Biographical information on the 2005 Distinguished Fellows
–Bennett is professor emeritus of aerospace engineering and former director of MSU’s Raspet Flight Research Laboratory. A faculty member from 1963 until his retirement in 2001, he received a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering before going on to earn master’s and doctoral degrees in aeronautical and astronautical engineering from the University of Illinois, respectively, in 1964 and 1970.
–Boggan is president and chief executive officer of BioHorizons, the fifth largest and fastest-growing dental implant company in the United States. He is a 1986 biological engineering graduate, who subsequently earned a master’s in biomedical engineering in 1989 from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a master’s in business administration in 1995 from the University of Memphis. Residential ZIP code 35242]
–Sparks, vice president of operations for Energen Resources Corp., is a 1984 petroleum engineering graduate. He holds a patent on enhancing production from natural gas wells and was a technical adviser for the Gas Research Institute. Earlier in his career, he also worked for Pennzoil and Amoco. [Residential ZIP code 35223]
–Davis is a 1975 industrial engineering graduate who currently is a principal of Buckskull Partners, an investment and advisory service organization for new technology companies. Recipient of a master’s degree in business administration from Harvard University in 1981, he served the Harbinger Corp. as president, chief operating officer and board member prior to his retirement there in 1999. He subsequently was president and chairman of Flamenco Network Services until that company was acquired by Digital Evolution in 2004. [Residential ZIP code 30350]
–Marchant is founder, president and chief executive officer of United Health Services, the leading provider of workers’ compensation claim management solutions to national medical groups and hospitals. He also founded EFS–a leading transaction, authorization, professing, settlement, funds transfer, and ATM network; and Electronic Physicians Network, a company that streamlines access to data for doctors and hospitals. Marchant received a bachelor’s degree in computer science and mathematics in 1974.[Residential ZIP code 38125]
–McRae is a 1954 mechanical engineering graduate and entrepreneur who has owned or partnered in a dozen businesses. He started Clearspan Components Inc. in Meridian in 1962 to manufacture roof trusses and other wood components for large apartment projects. He also designed much of the specialized machinery and holds a patent for a component-building machine and a production process still in use at the Lauderdale County plant.
–Strock is chief of engineers and commanding general of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. His command assignments have included Operation Just Cause in Panama, as well as Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm in the Middle East. The 1975 Virginia Military Institute civil engineering graduate completed his master’s degree in that major from MSU in 1983. He also is a 1972 graduate of the Army Officer Candidate School, and completed additional Ranger and Special Forces training. [Residential ZIP code 22060]
–Taylor is a management and business development consultant specializing in strategic planning, business development, technology, and market assessments. He also had a long management career with PPG Industries. He received a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering in 1966 and a master’s in business administration in 1971, both from MSU.
–Wardlaw is vice president of Electric System Operations in the Transmission/Power Supply Division of the Tennessee Valley Authority. He is responsible for short-term planning and real-time control of TVA’s generation and transmission assets across a seven-state region serving more than 8.3 million consumers. He earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from MSU in 1981 and a master’s in business administration from the University of Mississippi in 1991. [Residential ZIP code 37421]