College of Engineering Honors Outstanding Alumni

Photo by Logan Webster

The 2015 recipients of College of Engineering Alumni Awards were honored at a banquet on Saturday.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Arkansas College of Engineering honored 17 graduates with College of Engineering Alumni Awards at its annual banquet on Saturday, April 25, at the Embassy Suites in Rogers.

The awards recognize alumni of the college who have demonstrated exceptional professional and personal accomplishments and made important contributions to their professions and communities.

“Our alumni are among our college’s biggest strengths and their accomplishments speak directly to the quality of our academic program,” said John English, dean of the college. “We are proud of all our alumni, but this group is a sample of our very best.”

At the banquet, Hugh Brewer and James Hefley were inducted into the college’s Hall of Fame, which was established in 1965 to recognize prominent graduates and leaders who have made outstanding contributions to the engineering profession and to society as a whole.

Brewer, who lives in Fayetteville, received a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the U of A in 1959. From 1982 until 1999, he was owner and president of Upchurch Electrical Supply.

Hefley earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from the U of A in 1961. He currently resides in Asheville, North Carolina. Hefley had a 19-year career with IBM. After that, he helped build Gemini Consulting, a management consulting company focused on business issues.

The Distinguished Alumni Award honors College of Engineering graduates who have provided leadership in their communities and achieved distinction in their fields of endeavor. The recipients of the 2014 Distinguished Alumni Awards are:

• Sam K. Alley, B.S.C.E. 1979, chairman and chief executive officer, VCC
• Melinda Pettet Faubel, B.S.I.E. 1980, director of external affairs, AT&T Arkansas
• William Brock Johnson (posthumous award), B.S.C.E. 1972, M.S.C.E. 1980, president and chief executive officer, Garver Engineers
• Jeffrey D. Madden, B.S.Ag.E. 1988, director of engineering and construction services, Riceland Foods Inc.
• George Eugene “Gene” Mann, B.S.M.E. 1963, B.S.C.E. 1965, directorate of public works, Red River Army Depot (retired)
• Adam Monroe, B.S.Ch.E. 1988, president, Americas, Novozymes
• Rebecca Wilson, B.S.C.S.E. 1992, service delivery manager, Microsoft Corp.

The Early Career Award recognizes exceptional professional and personal achievements of more recent College of Engineering graduates. The 2014 recipients are:

• Shawn Brewer, B.S.B.A.E. 1995, M.S.B.A.E. 1998, hydraulic engineer, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
• Jesse Buffington, B.S.M.E. 2007, B.S. 2012, lead – exploration EVA strategy and architecture integration, NASA’s Johnson Space Center
• Edgar Cilio, B.S.E.E. 2004, M.S.E.E. 2008, engineering manager, APEI
• Timothy Doolittle, B.S.Ch.E. 1997, global process technology associate, The Dow Chemical Co.
• Jaysson Funkhouser, B.S.C.E. 1998, M.S.C.E. 2000, assistant director, U.S. Geological Survey
• William Richardson, B.S.B.E. 2007, postdoctoral research fellow, University of Virginia Health System
• Ami Spivey, B.S.I.E. 1995, senior vice president, Walmart International
• Jeremy W. Stobaugh, B.S.C.S.E. 2000, M.B.A. 2010, director of information services, J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc.

About the College of Engineering: The University of Arkansas College of Engineering is the only comprehensive Ph.D.-granting engineering program in the state of Arkansas. The college offers graduate and undergraduate degrees in nine engineering fields, as well as incorporating distance learning and interdisciplinary programs. Faculty in the College of Engineering conduct research in many key areas, including electronics, energy, healthcare logistics, nanotechnology, transportation and logistics.

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among only 2 percent of universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.