Three engineering students earn Spirit of State honor
May 5, 2011
Starkville, Miss—Three Bagley College of Engineering students are among the winners of Mississippi State’s premier student award.
Nibeer Dewan, Halston Hales and Rob Walker were among 22 students from across the university who were presented with Sprit of State Awards at a ceremony during Super Bulldog Weekend—one of the most recognized and highly attended MSU spirit events of the year.
Each recipient is nominated for the award by faculty, staff or fellow students in recognition of his or her contributions to the Starkville-based university.
“Students earn these award based on their documented involvement in campus organizations and activities, their service to the university community and the impact they have had on student life at Mississippi State,” explained Dr. Bill Kibler, MSU vice president for student affairs.
The 2011 winners from the BCoE include (by hometown):
CLINTON—In his role as the Student Association’s attorney general, Hales helped establish the Dawghouse Deals program, a campus-wide garage sale for charity aimed at reducing the waste generated when students move out of residence halls. He also helped create an international studies certificate and served as a representative on the international programs and study abroad committee.
A senior in industrial engineering, he has been an active member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity and the Lambda Sigma, Phi Kappa Phi and Alpha Pi Mu honor societies. Hales is the son of Randy and Donna Hales of Clinton, Miss.
STARKVILLE—In just two years at State, Nibeer Dewan has taken an active role in the leadership of several student organizations. Through the Indian Student Association and the Student Association he has helped promote a better understanding of different cultures and make the transition to American easier for incoming Indian students.
He is a sophomore in industrial engineering and currently serves as president of the MSU chapter of the Institute of Industrial Engineers and as a representative of the department. He is the son of Sailendranath and Kumkum Dewan of Starkville.
VICKSBURG—Rob Walker is a senior in mechanical engineering. He has severed the students of Mississippi State as a Roadrunner, a housing guest assistant, and a senator and assistant attorney general for the Student Association. He has mentored fellow students through the BCoE’s Chevron Program Enhancement Grant and Increasing Minority Access to Graduate Education, an organization he has served as president and vice president.
He is a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the National Society of Black Engineers, Alpha Phi Alpha, and the Black Student Alliance. Walker is the son of Eloise Woods of Vicksburg, Miss.
The Spirit of State award program was established in 2006 in order to formally honor students excel in campus involvement, service and impact to their peers and the campus community.