Hall of Fame

The Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering (CCEE) Alumni Hall of Fame was established to inspire our current students and our alumni and to celebrate the accomplishments of those extraordinary graduates who have used their education to excel in a profession, career, or service. This honor will celebrate the accomplishments and commitment of alumni to the professions of civil, construction, and environmental engineering, or alumni who have advanced in other professions. Hall of Fame inductees serve as examples to students and alumni as to the role that they are expected to play in engaging with the university and society.

Nomination instructions are provided here. Nominations through June 19, 2023, will be considered for induction during the fall of 2023.

Current members are listed below in alphabetical order with the year in which they earned their degree.

Refaat A. Abdel-Malek, MSCE 1969,  Ph.D. 1972

Dr. Refaat A. Abdel-Malek is Vice Chairman Emeritus of MWH Global, Inc. He was the CEO of Harza Engineering Company prior to its merger with Montgomery Watson and the formation of MWH, which is one of the leading Water, Energy, and Infrastructure Consulting Firms in the world. Abdel-Malek is an expert on hydropower and its sustainable development. He was responsible for the design and construction management of some of the world’s most complex hydropower projects and served as a senior consultant for the Three Gorges Dam in China, one of the world’s largest waterway and hydropower projects to date.

In 2014, Abdel-Malek was awarded the ASCE Rickey Medal for outstanding contributions to hydroelectric engineering, leadership in the delivery of the world’s largest and most complex projects, and his commitment to the advancement of sustainability in global hydropower development. His efforts have been motivated by addressing the shortages of reliable energy and clean water, especially in developing countries. He served as President of the International Hydropower Association (IHA) for 6 years, an organization with a mission “to advance sustainable hydropower by building and sharing knowledge on its role in renewable energy systems, freshwater management, and climate change solutions.”

Colonel William D. Alexander III, CE 1953

This outstanding alumnus, with a significant record of achievement in the design, construction, and management of some of the world’s most complex engineering systems, received his professional degree in Civil Engineering in 1953. Following a distinguished career in the United States Air Force, which culminated in his assignment as Chief of the Facilities Design Office responsible for the Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile Launch Facility Program, he began a notable civilian career upon his retirement as Air Force Colonel in 1962.

He managed the design and construction of the launch facilities for the Apollo Project and the design and construction of the 299 BEV Proton Accelerator, the world’s largest atom smasher. He was the retired president of the New York-based engineering firm of Seeyle, Stevenson, Value, and Knecht, Inc. Upon his retirement, he went on to be responsible for the property acquisition, design, and construction of the $1.6 billion Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority System.

He was dedicated to his profession and to furthering engineering education, and he contributed significantly to the goals of N.C. State as a former member of the Engineering School Advisory Council.

Stephen F. Angel, CE 1977

This distinguished graduate earned his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from North Carolina State University in 1977. Since 2007, he has been chairman, president, and chief executive officer at Praxair, Inc., a Fortune 250 producer and distributor of atmospheric, process, and specialty gases and high-performance surface coatings. The company is the largest to be led by a College alumnus. Angel joined Praxair in 2001 as executive vice president responsible for the company’s businesses in North America, Europe, and Asia, as well as its healthcare business. His work in the business community includes serving on the Boards of Directors of the US-China Business Council and PPG Industries.

Students have benefited from Angel’s commitment to NC State through his numerous on-campus speaking engagements, including the College of Engineering Welcome address and the Progress Energy Distinguished Lecture. He has generously supported the College, endowing with his wife, Lori, the Robert F. and Romaine S. Angel Scholarship, which generates income for students equivalent to full tuition and fees. He also provides annual support through the Dean’s Circle and has led strategic engagement efforts between Praxair and the College.

Suzanne Beckstoffer, BSCE 1982

Immediately upon graduation, Suzanne Beckstoffer began work as a structural engineer at Newport News Shipbuilding, where she spent her entire career. At the time of her retirement, she held the position of Director of Engineering, University & Manufacturing Initiatives. During this assignment, she had a staff of 40 and directed the migration of a new aircraft carrier design to new product model and lifecycle management software. The project represented hundreds of millions of dollars in value and required near-perfection. Earlier in her career, she led the installation of robotic steel fabrication equipment, and directed research and development programs for aircraft carriers and submarines.

Beckstoffer was appointed to the ABET Industry Advisory Council in 2016 and to the Marine Board in 2020. She is president of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME), an international professional organization for the maritime and offshore communities with 6,000 members in 95 countries. She also serves as Chairman of the Board of BayPort Credit Union, a $1.7B financial institution with 140,000 members and 23 branches, headquartered in Newport News, VA. Suzanne has championed financial literacy, and as a result of her dedication, the credit union now teaches financial literacy in over 50 schools in communities where the credit union has a branch.

Emily Brown Blount, CE 1953

Mrs. Blount was the first female graduate of the department, receiving her B.S in civil engineering in 1953 and a professional degree in Civil Engineering with a concentration in transportation in 1955. Following graduation, Emily Blount began a career at the North Carolina Department of Transportation, starting out as the Associate Traffic Engineer in the State Highway Department. Five years after graduating, she became the first North Carolina woman registered as a professional engineer and as a professional land surveyor. Mrs. Blount went on to have a 40-year career at the North Carolina Department of Transportation before retiring so that she could “travel to see the world”. Blount has been recognized for her outstanding achievements over the years with numerous awards including the 1978 Raleigh Engineers Club Outstanding Engineering Award, the 1997 R.V. Moss Lifetime Service Award from the NC Section of the Institute for Transportation Engineers, and in 2006, was inducted into the NC Transportation Hall of Fame. Mrs. Blount remains dedicated to her profession and still maintains her PE license by regularly attending engineering conferences such as the department’s annual Paul Zia Distinguished Lecture and by speaking with high school science majors and young women who may be interested in engineering. Additionally, Mrs. Blount remains connected to our department through alumni engagement activities.

John Brantley, CE 1964

Mr. Brantley received his B.S. in civil engineering with a construction option in 1964. Following graduation, he went on to Northwestern University to complete a graduate degree before spending the rest of his career in the aviation field.

In the Fall of 1982, the Authority’s Board asked him to become Raleigh-Durham International’s CEO, a position he held for 29 years. During that time, RDU grew into a major commercial service airport with 200+ daily departing flights.

Between 1982 and 2016, he taught a biannual course on airport planning and design in the CCEE Department as an adjunct professor. In addition to teaching, he helped to found the Advisory Board for the Department, is a Life Member of the Alumni Association, a longtime member of the Wolfpack Club, and a generous donor to the CCEE Department.

Raymond A. Bryan Jr., CE 1953

Ray Bryan received his B.S. in construction from North Carolina State University in 1953. A Korean War veteran, he served in the U.S. Army from 1954 to 55. He was the chairman of T. A. Loving Company, known for its beautiful construction projects on NC State University’s campus, including the Park Alumni Center and the Wendell H. Murphy Football Center.

In addition to running a successful business, Bryan had a long history of dedication to education, having served on the Board of Trustees for Campbell University and the Board of Trustees for the Independent College Fund of North Carolina. He was a past president of the Wolfpack Club, a past College of Engineering Dean’s Cabinet member, a former director of the NC State Engineering Foundation Board, and a lifetime Alumni Association member. In the community, he also served as president of the Wayne County Boys and Girls Club and was named a James E. West Fellow for his contributions to the Boy Scouts.

Tom Caldwell, MCE 1993

Tom Caldwell earned his B.S. in civil engineering at Colorado School of Mines in 1984 and his MCE at NC State in 1993. He founded Atlas Engineering in 1996, developing the firm’s expertise in engineering services for existing structures. In the late 1990s, two unusual assignments introduced Caldwell to engineering under emergency conditions: a terrorist bombing in Sri Lanka, and the Northridge earthquake in California. His work at these sites led to an invitation to train and qualify as a FEMA Structures Specialist for VATF2, one of 28 Federal Urban Search and Rescue teams that serve at national disaster sites. In 2017, Caldwell began work with UNC Charlotte alum Donnie Barrier, the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, and the legislature to create, fund, train and equip a cadre of first-responder engineers for the state. These 15 North Carolina engineers deploy with state and local agencies to hurricanes, floods, collapsed buildings, and other disasters. Caldwell himself has deployed as an engineer first-responder with FEMA, state agencies, and federal investigators at more than 50 disaster sites. His duties have included assessing stability and risk, designing emergency shoring, entering collapse zones with rescuers, and assisting with live rescues and recoveries. He is a FEMA Structures Instructor and author of peer-reviewed papers on emergency engineering. Caldwell was the lead engineer for a water supply project in Guatemala with Engineers Without Borders. He is active with the ASCE Structural Institute and serves on the SEANC Structural Engineers Emergency Response Committee. Caldwell has been a frequent guest speaker at NC State’s Department of CCEE and the CE Extension Service and greatly appreciates his long association with the faculty and staff at NC State.

Jimmy D. Clark, CE 1974

This distinguished graduate earned his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from North Carolina State University in 1974. Clark is a registered professional engineer, owner, and president of Guy M. Turner, Inc., a rigging, millwright, heavy transportation, and crane services company headquartered in Greensboro, NC. Once a small rigging operation, Clark transformed the business into a diversified company with 12 offices in the United States and Canada.

Clark serves as chair of the university’s Board of Trustees and was previously on the Engineering Foundation Board of Directors, the Alumni Association Board of Directors, past chair of the university’s Board of Visitors, past chair of the NC State Magazine Advisory Board, and is a member of the Park Scholars Selection Committee. He is also an honorary lifetime member of the NC State Alumni Association and the Walter Hines Page Society.

Michael W. Creed, CE 1973

This distinguished alumnus received a B.S. degree in civil engineering with high honors in 1973 and a master of science in engineering in 1984 from N.C. State. He went on to earn a Ph.D. in City & Regional Planning from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2010. Creed is co-founder and board chair of McKim & Creed, an engineering, planning, and surveying firm that has been an ENR Top 500 company since 1992. He was one of the original members of the CCEE advisory board and served as chair of the department’s Paul Zia Distinguished Lecture Series during its growth into a major annual event. He has served as a guest lecturer in CCEE, a volunteer with student organizations, and a member of the board of directors for the N.C. State Engineering Foundation.

Creed has been active in numerous professional, technical, and civic organizations, including Professional Engineers of North Carolina (PENC), American Council of Engineering Companies of N.C. (ACEC/NC), American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Cape Fear Area United Way Board, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training program, Historic Wilmington Foundation Board, Downtown Area Redevelopment Effort of Wilmington, N.C. Chamber Board and the Industry Advisory Council for the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology.

Creed is also a past president of the N.C. Azalea Festival and the Professional Services Management Association (PSMA). In 2006 he won PSMA’s Leonardo Da Vinci Award, which recognizes those who have achieved success in both the technical and management aspects of professional practice.

Otis A. Crowder, BSCE with Construction Option 1970

Upon graduation, Otis Crowder joined a family-owned business, learning from the ground up and gaining experience in every facet of the company’s operation. He was named President of Crowder Construction Company in 1984. Since a Corporate reorganization in 2007, Crowder has served as Chairman of the Board of Crowder Constructors Inc. and as a Board Member and Officer of Crowder subsidiary companies.

The Crowder companies, now 70 years old, remain family and employee-owned. They’ve grown from a small concrete company serving the Carolinas to a major general contractor serving the southeastern United States. They build bridges, dams, highways, water and wastewater facilities, industrial and power facilities, and alternative energy facilities, including solar and biomass. The company has been recognized as a workplace that invests in its employees and the community. Their website proudly reads: “We put our hard hats down and step away from the job site to get involved with the people in our community.”

Otis Crowder serves on many community organizations including Habitat for Humanity. He also served on the NC State Engineering Foundation from 2008 – 2014.

S. James “Jim” Ellen, Jr., BSCE with Construction Option 1959

From a young age, S. James “Jim” Ellen, Jr. knew how to work hard — first on a farm, then as a carpenter’s assistant, and eventually as an entrepreneurial civil engineering student who went on to run his own companies. To help bring in money for his family, the Nash County, North Carolina, native started working on a farm as a child before landing a job as a teenager with a carpentry crew. He helped build barns, sheds, and wood-frame farm equipment, and he decided then that he wanted to go into construction. Ellen had never doubted that NC State was the school for him. But coming from a small town, he decided to start at a smaller school. He spent two years at Mars Hill Junior College (now Mars Hill University) in western North Carolina, where he took pre-engineering courses and worked as a janitor before transferring to NC State in 1957. Ellen was the first of three brothers to graduate from NC State with a BSCE, construction option in 1959. After college, Ellen worked for 12 years in different parts of the construction industry before starting Richmond, Virginia-based Capital Masonry Corporation, a commercial masonry contractor, in 1971. He later started a second company, Capital Interior Corporation, which specializes in drywall, ceilings, and floors. While running his companies, Ellen also went into real estate. He specialized in renovating unused properties and turning them into usable rental properties. He retired in 2013. Ellen has since returned to his success, supporting both faculty members and students at CCEE. In 2011, he endowed the S. James Ellen, Jr. Distinguished Professorship. He also created the Samuel James Ellen, Jr. Family Scholarship Endowment, which supports students majoring in civil engineering, with priority for those from Nash County and other rural eastern North Carolina counties. Jim and his spouse, Sharon Hanies Ellen, split their time between their two residencies in Richmond and Sanibel Island, Florida.

Glenn E. Futrell, CE 1963

This dedicated alumnus received his B.S. degree in 1963 and his Master’s degree in 1965 in civil engineering from NC State. After graduation, he began his career as a staff engineer for Law Engineering and Testing Company of Charlotte and was soon promoted to branch manager of the Raleigh office.

In 1973, he formed Soil & Material Engineers (S&ME), a company that grew to more than 1,000 employees in 35 branch offices in 10 states. As S&ME grew, it provided services in Geotechnical & Environmental Engineering and hazardous waste cleanup. In 1986, S&ME was featured on the cover of Engineering News-Record as one of the most successful engineering firms in the United States. At that time, S&ME had become the fifth-largest geotechnical engineering company in the US. After retiring from S&ME in 1990, Glenn has had a successful career in Real Estate development and serving on various Boards. He has served on Waste Industries USA board and North State Bank’s board.

Futrell was a member of YPO (Young Presidents Organization) and WPO (World Presidents Organization} for 15 years. An active alumnus, he has been a member of the North Carolina Engineering Foundation’s Board of Directors for 20 years and served as president of the board in 1996-97. He has been a strong advocate for the College and the University as well as the Wolfpack Club, serving 8 years on its board and many community organizations.

Michael Banks Gwyn, BSCE 1980, MSE 1994

Gwyn received his B.S. in civil engineering in 1980 and a master’s in engineering in 1994. His nearly 40-year career in the construction industry started in 1981 at Paul N. Howard Co. After serving in numerous leadership roles at construction firms such as J.A. Jones Construction Co., Fluor, Leidos Constructors, The Benham Cos. and overseeing billions of dollars in projects worldwide, Gwyn retired in 2020 as group president of Haskell’s Federal, Healthcare & Energy Group. Gwyn has been involved in many engineering organizations, including as an American Society of Civil Engineers Fellow and a member of the North Carolina Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the ASCE Construction Institute’s Construction Engineering Education Committee, and the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying Civil PE Exam Committee. Gwyn also was on the Industry Advisory Council for ABET for many years and acted as chair for that group. Gwyn has been a longtime supporter of CCEE, serving on and chairing the advisory board and developing the Michael Banks Gwyn Scholarship Endowment in 2016 for need-based undergraduate students interested in Construction Engineering and Management.

Jim Hipps, BSBAE 1973, CE 1974

Hipps attended NC State on an athletic scholarship, receiving a B.S. in biological and agricultural engineering in 1973 and a professional degree in civil engineering in 1974. He started his engineering career at Moore-Gardner & Associates upon graduation. After MGA was acquired by Black & Veatch Inc. in 1982, Jim climbed the ranks at the company, serving in various leadership roles. He retired from B&V in 2009 as an executive partner in charge of Strategic Planning, Mergers and acquisitions, and new Business Ventures after 35 years in the consulting industry. Hipps has been very active and played a leadership role in the Junior Diabetes Research Foundation and served on the Board of Directors of the Kansas City, M.O. chapter. He also served as an active member of the NC State Engineering Advisory Board for the Biological & Agricultural Engineering Department and was named as a Distinguished Alumnus. His family is a generous supporter of NC State academics and athletics, contributing to a number of undergraduate, graduate, athletic, and athletic trainer-endowed scholarships.

Paul N. Howard Jr., CE 1944

This 1944 graduate in Civil Engineering, Howard was the former Chairman of the board of the Paul N. Howard Company, an engineering and contracting firm specializing in the construction of water and waste treatment facilities. Howard had a long and distinguished record of service to the construction industry, to this university, and to his community. Among his company’s major projects was the installation of 70 miles of water mains in Abu Dhabi on the Arabian Gulf, a $52 million project.

Howard was previously national President of the Associated General Contractors of America and served as the representative to President Ford’s Economic Summit. Howard actively and significantly supported the university where he served as President of the Alumni Association, a member of the Board of Directors of the North Carolina State Engineering Foundation, and as President of the Guilford County NCSU Alumni Club.

Berry G. Jenkins, Jr., BSCE 1965

Berry G. Jenkins, Jr. earned his BSCE in 1965. He began his career in the transportation industry with the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) and served in various leadership positions, including resident engineer, state construction engineer, and state construction and materials branch manager, before retiring in 1997 as the deputy highway administrator of preconstruction. While at NCDOT, he was devoted to process improvements and worker safety and was instrumental in the development of the sedimentation and erosion control program. Jenkins received several awards including State Government Manager of the Year, Governor’s Award of Excellence, and the Order of the Long Leaf Pine — the highest award that can be given for civilians in North Carolina. In 1997, after retiring from NCDOT, Jenkins began working with the Carolinas Associated General Contractors (CAGC) as North Carolina director, N.C. government relations highway-heavy division. During his 22-year tenure, he helped strengthen relationships between highway contractors and NCDOT through his leadership of several joint committees and specialty committees. As a tremendous advocate for transportation in the N.C. legislature, Jenkins was instrumental in securing additional funding and advancing solutions to achieve long-term sustainable revenue alternatives for transportation. Jenkins was a founding member of NC Go!, which provides education and advocacy for transportation funding; he served as the organization’s chairman of the board of directors for many years. In addition, Jenkins was always looking for ways to improve worker safety, particularly in construction work zones, and worked diligently to have fines for speeding in work zones increased. In 2016, Jenkins received the Build with the Best Pinnacle award from CAGC for his contributions to the construction industry. He retired from CAGC in 2019. Jenkins was a passionate Wolfpack fan who was a longtime member of the Wolfpack Club. He was an advocate for NC State and the engineering department and served on the board of directors for the NC State Engineering Foundation.

David Johnston, BSCE with Construction Option 1966, MSCE 1968, PhD 1972

David Johnston holds a unique position in that all of his degrees are from our department, and he was a faculty member from 1977 – 2010. He provided leadership for the construction engineering program for four decades, including preparing for ABET-EAC accreditation of the B.S. program. He served as Associate Head and Director of Graduate Programs for a ten-year period which featured significant department-wide growth in graduate enrollment.

Johnson’s research has had major impacts on engineering practice and national standards in bridge management systems, highway systems, and concrete formwork. He is the author of the 8th edition of the heavily used ACI SP-4 Formwork for Concrete published in 2014.

Johnston’s career awards are many, including the ASCE Roebling Award in recognition of outstanding contributions to the advancement of construction engineering. In 2019 he received the Distinguished Examination Service Award by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES). He was inducted into the National Academy of Construction in 2015.

Johnston has held leadership roles in the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the American Concrete Institute (ACI). He led the 10-year effort to have Construction Engineering recognized by the NCEES and state engineering licensing boards as a discipline for the Professional Engineering exam.  Most recently, he has provided tremendous leadership in the design and move to our new home, Fitts-Woolard Hall.

Johnie H. Jones, CE 1953

This distinguished engineer earned his B.S. degree in Civil Engineering in 1953. After completing his service in the US Naval Civil Engineering Corps, Johnie joined J.A. Jones Construction Company, which was founded in 1890 by his grandfather, James Addison Jones. He spent his entire career with the company, beginning as a timekeeper and retiring as Chairman and CEO. Jones traveled the world for J.A. Jones projects, which built facilities in 60 nations from the Arctic to the Tropics. Jones truly valued his relationship with each of his fellow workers from the construction site to the Board Room.

In addition to his professional life, he also served as the past President of the North Carolina State Engineering Foundation and as a member of the Dean’s Cabinet for the NCSU College of Engineering. Jones served as Chairman of the Board of the United Methodist Foundation, Brevard College Board of Trustees, and Discovery Place. He also served on the local Board of First Union National Bank. He was a member of the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce, the Construction Industry President’s Forum, the Good Fellows, and the Lions Club.

James F. Kelly, CE 1943

A 1943 graduate in Civil Engineering, this outstanding alumnus became President of Aeroglide Corporation of Raleigh in 1956 when he was only 33 years old. The following year he was elected to the Young Presidents’ Organization, which recognizes an individual who, prior to his 40th birthday, becomes president of a company doing an annual volume in excess of one million dollars.

Kelly’s company manufactured machinery and equipment for processing farm products. As an engineer with an interest in the development of engineering equipment for the agricultural processing industry, he was the motivating force in the company’s establishing a plant in Emporia, Kansas; joining in a cooperative venture with Empresa Metalurgica Colombiana in Bucaramanga, Colombia.

Kelly was extremely dedicated to his alma mater, serving on the Board of Directors of the Alumni Association and the North Carolina State Engineering Foundation as well as President of the University’s Development Council.

T. William Lambe, CE 1942

This outstanding alumnus, who earned his B.S. degree in Civil Engineering in 1942, had made major contributions to the knowledge of earth structures, settlement control, foundation performances, and soil structure and behavior. He retired after 36 years on faculty as the Edmund K. Turner Professor of Civil Engineering, at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a consultant in geotechnical engineering.

During his tenure, Lambe served as Director of the Soil Stabilization Laboratory, Head of the Geotechnical Division, and Professor of Geotechnical Engineering. He developed the Integrated Civil Engineering project concept, combining applied research with engineering practice to improve design and to advance research. He has conducted pioneering research in soil mechanics and is the author of Soil Testing for Engineers. NASA twice recognized his contributions to the Apollo Program for which he shaped the exploration project of the surface of the moon.

He also received the Norman Medal, the highest honor bestowed by the American Society of Civil Engineers, and the Society’s Terzaghi Award for his geotechnical engineering contributions. He was also honored with an election to the National Academy of Engineering.

Peter M. Lehrer, CE 1963

Mr. Lehrer received his B.S. in civil engineering with a construction option with honors in 1963. In 1979, Lehrer co-founded Lehrer McGovern, Inc., a top-ranked construction management firm. They later merged with Bovis and he became vice chairman and chief executive of U.S. subsidiaries. In 1996, he founded Lehrer, LLC to provide construction consulting services. He is currently CEO of Lehrer Cumming. He has overseen projects that include the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, euro Disneyland, restoration of the Statue of Liberty, and Ellis Island. Lehrer is a member of the board of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, and has chaired several government commissions focused on reducing costs and improving efficiency for multi-billion-dollar capital programs. Lehrer is a long-time supporter of the department who credits his education with providing a critical foundation for his successful career. In addition to being inducted into the CCEE Hall of Fame, the College of Engineering also recognized Lehrer as a Distinguished Engineering Alumnus.

Dr. Herbert Rooney Malcom Jr., BSCE 1963, MSCE 1970, Ph.D. 1973

Awarded Posthumously

Rooney received a B.S. in civil engineering in 1963, a master’s in civil engineering in 1970, and a Ph.D. in civil engineering in 1973. Rooney retired as a professor emeritus from N.C. State in 2004 after 31 years with the university. He is part of the NCSU Academy of Outstanding Teachers, winning the Outstanding Teaching Award twice. Rooney’s other honors include Outstanding Civil Engineer from the N.C. Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Bill Horn-Kimley Horn Faculty Award, and the Outstanding Extension Service Award. Rooney was a longtime member of the Technical Advisory Committee of the North Carolina Sedimentation Control Commission. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Water Resources Division of the North Carolina Chapter of the American Public Works Association, on the Technical Committee of the Water Resources Research Institute, and as a technical adviser to the Triangle J Council of Governments Committee on Water Resources.

Carroll Lamb Mann Sr., BSCE 1899, Degree of Civil Engineer, NC College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts, May 1906

Awarded Posthumously

Many consider Mann as the father of Civil Engineering at NC State. He served on the Civil Engineering faculty from 1901 until his retirement in 1948, including as head of the department for 32 years. He is the longest-serving faculty member and the longest-serving department head in the history of the department.  During his tenure as department head, a new building for civil engineering was planned and constructed, many of the specialties of civil engineering were developed in the curriculum, and research was initiated in labs appropriate for that era. He had two buildings named for him, including the current Mann Hall which housed CCEE from 1963 through 2020. Mann also served as Chairman of the Alumni Memorial Bell Tower Committee for over twenty years, including heading the efforts of the Alumni Association to raise funds for the construction of the Bell Tower. As the department moves from Mann Hall in 2020, it is with gratitude and respect that we recognize his legacy of dedication and leadership to the civil engineering profession of North Carolina.

Dr. William F. Marcuson, Ph.D. 1970

Dr. Marcuson joined the staff of the U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station in 1970 and was Director of the Geotechnical Laboratory from 1981 until his retirement in 2000. His career in the Corps of Engineers included stations throughout the U.S. and overseas.

Marcuson’s research focused on experimental and analytical studies of soil behavior related to geotechnical problems, seismic design and analysis of embankment dams, and seismically induced liquefaction of soils. Elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1996, his election citation read “for research and development of liquefaction, soil properties, and seismic wave propagation as applied to design analysis of earth and rock fill dams.” Marcuson’s influence as the leader of the premier US Army Research Laboratory in Geotechnical Engineering for nearly 20 years was truly impactful and his contributions are incorporated in reference books and design manuals worldwide.

Marcuson is an Honorary Member and Fellow of ASCE and served in many capacities including a term as National President in 2007. He also served as Chair of the United States National Committee for the International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE). He is the only engineer to be named by the Corps of Engineers’ as Engineer of the Year twice (1981 and 1995), and the Corps also recognized him as the Civilian of the Year in 1997.

Sam McCachern, BSCE 1985

Sam McCachern, PE, serves as chief executive officer and president of Thomas & Hutton, a professional services and consulting firm for land and infrastructure. His tenure at Thomas & Hutton began shortly after graduating from NC State with a BSCE in 1985. Demonstrating consistent hard work and dedication, he progressed in leadership at Thomas & Hutton, becoming chief financial officer and was later elected president in 2013 and CEO in 2015. He is responsible for Thomas & Hutton’s strategic plan, which led to the company’s reach to ten regions in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee. McCachern spearheaded Thomas & Hutton’s expansion into the Raleigh-Durham region in 2022. In addition, he’s led the company in securing the historically largest economic development projects in Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Named this year to Junior Achievement’s Savannah Business Hall of Fame, McCachern is recognized for his valuable contributions to education and community development within the Southeast. McCachern was a past Georgia Engineering Alliance’s Engineer of the Year in Private Practice and is recognized for the second consecutive year on Georgia Trend’s prestigious “Georgia 500” list of influential leaders in the state. A third-generation NC State grad, Sam is passionate about investing in the next generation of Wolfpack engineers and the overall advancement of the university. He serves on the NC State College of Engineering Foundation Board (2015 – present) and was on the CCEE Advisory Board (2007-11). Additionally, he contributed to the Fitts-Woolard Hall on the Centennial Campus and the Dean’s Circle. McCachern’s passion for educating future engineers and workforce development extends beyond his alma mater, serving on advisory boards at Georgia Southern University College of Engineering and Information Technology, Savannah Technical College Foundation, and the University of Georgia – Department of Civil Engineering. In addition, McCachern was also appointed to the Georgia State Workforce Development Board by Gov. Brian Kemp.

Herbert P. McKim, Jr., CE 1973

Mr. McKim earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering in 1973 and his master’s degree in engineering in 1975 from NC State. He went on to earn an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in 1985, where he was named Most Outstanding Student of the Cameron School of Business. During his undergraduate years, McKim played on the varsity tennis team, where he lettered all four years. Despite the difficulty of being a student-athlete in a very rigorous program, McKim was inducted into Chi Epsilon, a National Honorary Civil Engineering Fraternity, and also pledged Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity as an undergraduate. Following graduation, McKim and fellow N.C. State classmate Michael Creed decided to move to Wilmington, N.C., and start their own engineering firm. McKim & Creed Engineers, PA was founded on June 1, 1978. In the early 1980s, as the firm began to grow and diversify, McKim re-focused his time from project management to the business side of the engineering firm, using his organizational skills and entrepreneurial spirit to propel the company into the Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Companies by 1992. By 2020, McKim & Creed had more than 20 offices across the country with their headquarters proudly located on Centennial Campus. McKim has been recognized for his accomplishments with numerous awards including the ACEC/NC Community Service Award, the Distinguished Service Award from PENC, and the PENC Outstanding Technical Achievement Award. Herb is a Life Member of the Alumni Association and a former Alumni Association Board of Directors member who continues to stay connected to the University through alumni engagement activities in addition to being a longtime supporter of the University.

Douglas G. Morton, BSCE with Construction Option 1983

When Doug Morton received his degree in 1983, he immediately joined the Navy Civil Engineer Corps, where he spent the next 33 years of his professional life.  He retired with the rank of Rear Admiral.  During his time in the Navy, he held numerous positions of leadership at locations throughout the world. He led Seabees deploying overseas in both peacekeeping and wartime missions and twice commanded components of the Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command. The first command had him responsible for all planning, engineering, and construction contracting for the southeastern United States. The second command, as a Rear Admiral, had him similarly responsible for all such work in the continental United States, all of Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.  Morton was in charge of 13,500 civilian employees, Naval officers, and contractors.

His military awards include the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit (multiple awards), and the Bronze Star Medal.

Morton is currently NC State’s Associate Vice Chancellor for Facilities.  He directs facilities planning, design, construction, operations, and development for the university’s built environment which includes more than 1,000 buildings totaling 17 million gross square feet. His division’s wide area of responsibility includes facilities services, energy systems, sustainability, fleet management, architectural and design services, infrastructure planning, construction management, mail and grounds services.

Barbara H. Mulkey, CE 1977

Barbara graduated from NC State magna cum laude in Engineering in 1977 and then completed a Master’s Degree in Structural Engineering at NC State in 1984. Entrepreneurial by nature, Barbara founded Mulkey Engineers & Consultants, Inc. in 1993, an engineering consulting firm specializing in engineering and related services for both the public and private sectors. Begun at her kitchen table, the company made the list of Top 500 Engineering Companies nationally multiple times while under her leadership.

With a career foundation as a structural engineer focusing on highway bridge design, Barbara naturally placed a strong emphasis on her firm’s transportation planning, design, and construction services. Today she is heralded as one of the most respected transportation experts in the state, as evidenced by her induction into the NC Transportation Hall of Fame.

Giving back to her profession, Barbara served as President of The American Council of Engineering Companies for the state organization as well as National Director. She was later named a Fellow by the American Society of Civil Engineers (FASCE). Barbara serves her community as a member of the Research Triangle Board of Directors, and Chair of the Triangle Universities Center for Advanced Studies Board. Among other community recognitions, Barbara was named the TBJ Legacy Leader and she was also admitted into the Leadership Raleigh Hall of Fame.

At NC State, Barbara served for eight years on the Board of Trustees, including two years as Chair. Barbara and her husband Jim are benefactors of the Mulkey/General Hugh Shelton Leadership Award, an endowed scholarship that
recognizes values-based leadership in engineering students at NC State. She has received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the College of Engineering, and in 2016, she was awarded the Watauga Medal.

Dan Pleasant, BSCE 1972, MCE 1973

Dan Pleasant, PE, earned his BSCE in 1972 and MCE in 1973. He has worked at Dewberry for more than 40 years, beginning as manager of a startup office in Danville, Virginia, and ultimately serving as Dewberry’s chief operating officer for 12 years. Though he now is working a limited schedule, he continues to guide critical initiatives for Dewberry, including championing its corporate acquisition program. Pleasant has also managed the acquisition of seven companies for Dewberry, including the 2021 acquisitions of two engineering firms in the Southeast and the 2019 acquisition of an engineering firm based in California. Pleasant also continues to be very active with Dewberry’s clients, serving as an executive client manager for several strategic clients. He has also held the roles of president of Dewberry Engineers Inc., a division of more than 1,800 employees, and president of Dewberry’s Southeast division. Under his leadership, he has successfully directed numerous complex planning and design assignments requiring the coordinated effort of professionals with a range of disciplinary expertise. Such assignments include serving in executive management roles for public and private sector clients for multimillion-dollar capital programs.

Pleasant has been active in numerous local, regional, and state organizations, including serving as a board member and chair of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, as a member of the CCEE advisory board, as a director for the publicly traded American National Bank and Trust Company, and on the board of the Virginia Chamber of Commerce.

Lonnie Poole, BSCE 1959

Lonnie Poole began his career with Ingersoll Rand and Koehring company, where he was involved in heavy construction equipment design, development, and sales on an international scale. His research into developing innovative products, including a landfill compactor, led him to conclude that the garbage business had potential, and in 1970 he returned to Raleigh and started Waste Industries. Once he changed the direction of the business from managing landfills to collection and secured financial backing to purchase 6 trucks, the company began steady growth and went public in 1997. Poole served as President of Waste Industries from 1970 to 1986. He was CEO from 1987 through 2002, and Chairman from 1987 through 2008. Waste Industries expanded geographically with three large operations in Denver, Colorado, Atlanta, Georgia, and Raleigh, as well as numerous other locations.

Poole is an entrepreneur who developed both an industry and his company, Waste Industries, at the same time. Poole has been very active in civic, community, and industry activities. In 2008 he received the NC State Watauga Medal which is awarded by the Board of Trustees to honor individuals who have made significant contributions to the advancement of the university. In 2018 Poole was named Outstanding Engineer of the Year by the NC Society of Engineers. He is also a founding member of the Environmental Research and Education Foundation.

Dr. Sami Rizkalla, MSCE 1974, Ph.D. 1976

Dr. Sami Rizkalla moved to the U.S. in 1971 after working as a practicing structural engineer in Egypt. He earned his MSCE in 1974 and Ph.D. in 1976 from NC State. He then started his academic career as an assistant professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Manitoba, Canada, where he moved up the ranks and was promoted to professor in 1988. Rizkalla served as an associate dean in the college’s faculty of engineering from 1992 to 1994. During his career, he served as president and scientific director of the Canadian Networks of Centers of Excellence on “Intelligent Sensing for Innovative Structures.” Rizkalla was largely responsible for the design and construction of the first “smart” bridges in North America reinforced with durable fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) materials. In 2000, he returned to NC State as a Distinguished Professor of Civil Engineering and Construction. He remained at the university until his retirement in 2017. Rizkalla also served as the director of the department’s Constructed Facilities Laboratory and the site director of the National Science Foundation Industry/University Cooperative Research Center (I/UCRC) on the Repair of Buildings and Bridges with Composites and director of the I/UCRC on Integrating Composites into Infrastructure. He was among the founding members of the American Concrete Institute (ACI) Committee 440: Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Reinforcement and served as the committee chair from 1997 to 2003. His research includes more than 300 refereed journal publications. During his 40-year career in academia, Rizkalla served as the chair/co-chair of more than 70 research-based M.S. students and more than 30 Ph.D. students. His research and contributions to the profession have been recognized by many awards, including being named a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Canadian Society for Civil Engineering, International Institute for FRP in Construction, Prestressed/Precast Concrete Institute (PCI), and ACI. He also received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Institute for FRP in Construction, the PCI Distinguished Educator Award, and was recently named an honorary member of the ACI.

B.D. Rodgers, CE 1949

This distinguished graduate earned his B.S. degree in civil engineering in 1949 from North Carolina State University. Beginning in 1963 with one truck, a superintendent, and $5,000 borrowed from his life insurance policy, he built a highly successful construction company, Rodgers Builders, Inc., that was named the 2007 Carolinas AGC “Best of the Best in the Carolinas Construction Industry.”

Rodgers was a leader in his business, his community, and his state and was a longstanding board member for numerous academic institutions and non-profit organizations. He was a recipient of the Golden Hammer Award from the Professional Construction Estimators Association, the 1999 Lucille P. Giles Award from Florence Crittenton Services, and the 2000 Executive of the Year Award from the Construction Financial Managers Association.

Louis Rossi, BSCE 1967, MSCE 1969

After earning a BSCE in 1967 and an MSCE in 1969, Louis Rossi worked as a planner for the newly created New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT). In the 1970s, railroads were in a financial crisis. New York was struggling to save those companies, and NYSDOT organized a rail division to find a solution. An unusually young Rossi was put in charge. He quickly created a plan and got the buy-in of federal and local governments, businesses, and other stakeholders with conflicting interests. He conceived and implemented New York’s TurboTrain, an early high-speed gas turbine passenger train running from New York City to Buffalo, New York. Sadly, those trains were disposed of by Amtrak in 1980. He became the director of transportation planning and focused on infrastructure. Working with U.S. Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan and staff, the Federal Surface Transportation Act included procedures whereby every project had to be reviewed for its impact on pedestrians and cyclists. This required every state to have a bike/pedestrian program manager. The 1996 plan is still in place and is used as a model for other states. His system of statewide signed bicycle routes has evolved into the multiuse Empire State Trail.

Following retirement to Florida in the 1990s, he authored “Cycling Along the Canals of New York” Volume 1 and Volume 2, which popularized bicycle tourism in New York. He volunteered with the Florida Department of Transportation and the Lake County, Florida, sheriff to improve cycling policies and helped create a network of Children’s Bicycle Safety Clubs as well as the Lake County bike racing team.

Rossi passed away on Aug. 16, 2020. He was a smart, energetic, and creative civil servant who positively influenced many forms of transportation for residents of New York and Florida.

Sepideh (Sepi) Saidi, BSCE 1993

Born in Tehran, Iran, Sepi Saidi was raised with a large emphasis on education and the need to be independent. Through her years of primary school, Saidi excelled in science and math, leading to her dual bachelor’s degrees in civil engineering and agricultural engineering in 1993 from NC State.

With a $35,000 home equity loan and the will to succeed, Saidi opened the doors of Raleigh, North Carolina-based SEPI (a division of TranSystems) in 2001. She is the founder of SEPI and has been CEO for 21 years. Since its founding, the organization has grown domestically to become an Engineering News-Record Top 500 Engineering company, with gross revenue of $36 million in 2021.

Early on, Saidi recognized the value of relationships. Starting with her involvement in the American Council of Engineering Companies of North Carolina, Saidi increased her participation in professional organizations and served as the board chair of the Raleigh Chamber of Commerce (the third female chair in nearly 100 years). She also serves as chair of the North Carolina Chamber. Fittingly, there are many similarities between Saidi and her company, SEPI. SEPI’s four core values are intrinsically woven into the fabric of the culture, driven by its leader: Be Brave, Be Open, Choose Positivity, Pursue Excellence.

David Simpson, BSCE 1981

Simpson received a B.S. in civil engineering in 1981. After more than 23 years working for the N.C. Department of Transportation and two private engineering firms, Simpson started Simpson Engineers & Associates in 2004. Simpson contributes regularly to the CCEE Enhancement Fund and Zia Lecture series and served on the department’s Industry Advisory Board from 2010-18. Simpson and his brother, Michael, endowed the David B. and Annie P. Simpson Scholarship, named in honor of their parents. He is involved in several engineering education organizations including the N.C. Future City Competition, MATHCOUNTS, and N.C. Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education Center. Simpson is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, American Society of Highway Engineers, American Council of Engineering Companies, National Society of Professional Engineers, and Women’s Transportation Seminar. His honors include the Special Recognition Award and Small Architectural/Engineering Firm of the Year from NCDOT and the Award of Recognition, Advocate Partner from WTS.

Walter Tilford Smith, CE 1929

Fondly known as Tilly Smith, this distinguished engineering alumnus joined the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company one month after graduating from N.C. State in 1929 with a Civil Engineering degree. He rose through various positions to eventually become Executive Vice President and Director of the company.

Mr. Smith’s career lasted for 43 years with the company before retiring in 1972. During his tenure, the company built some of the world’s mightiest ships including the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Enterprise and numerous nuclear-powered Polaris-armed submarines. Smith was an active alumnus who served his alma mater previously as a director of the Alumni Association and as President of the Tidewater Alumni Club. In his community, he served in leadership roles in United Fund and Red Cross affairs, as well as in a number of civic and social clubs.

This outstanding engineer in every way exemplified the best in engineering responsibility, using his many talents for the improvement of his country, his community, and his university.

Eli Sternberg, CE 1941

One of only a few people who has been elected to both the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Sciences, this distinguished alumnus earned his B.S. degree in Civil Engineering from NC State in 1941. He earned his master’s degree in Civil Engineering and his doctorate in Mechanics at the Illinois Institute of Technology.

His entire career was spent in academia, where he had a major influence on the fields of elasticity, thermoelasticity, and viscoelasticity through his significant fundamental contributions to these areas. In 1964 he became a Professor of Mechanics in the Division of Engineering and
Applied Science at the California Institute of Technology, where he retired as professor emeritus in 1988.

When he received an Honorary Doctor of Science degree from NC State in 1963, he was cited for the achievements that brought him to a “position of eminence in the field of applied mathematics which few can match.” His honors are many, among which are the Honorary Doctor of Science degree from the Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, and the Timoshenko Medal from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

Wayne Stocks, BSCE 1986

Wayne Stocks joined Thornton Tomasetti in 1992 and rose through the ranks until he was named President of the firm in 2019. Headquartered in New York City, Thornton Tomasetti is a 1,500-plus-person engineering consulting firm serving clients worldwide.

Stocks has overseen the structural design, construction, and project management for a wide variety of new and historic structures. His projects include traditional design-bid-build and many fast-track projects including the Washington Nationals Major League Baseball Park, the Washington DC Convention Center, CityCenterDC, and the National Public Radio New Headquarters, to mention just a few.

Stocks is passionate about giving back, which began with spending two years in Nepal with the Peace Corp immediately upon completion of his graduate degree. Now he loves sharing the excitement of engineering with the next generation. He often speaks at elementary and middle school events and volunteers at STEM events.

Stocks was instrumental in guiding Thornton Tomasetti to support a program called Bridges to Prosperity which resulted in constructed pedestrian bridges in Panama and Rwanda. He has also raised donations with the help of industry friends for cancer research, riding in Cycle for Survival (Memorial Sloan Kettering Rare Cancer Research), and walking in Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. He and his wife provide yearly support to DC-area homeless shelters.

Pamela B. Townsend, CE 1987

This distinguished graduate earned her B.S. degree in civil engineering in 1984 and her Master’s degree in civil engineering in 1987 from NC State. Townsend is the senior vice president for WSP, formerly Parsons Brinckerhoff, a world-leading engineering and professional services firm. She worked previously for Dewberry and AECOM.

Pam’s efforts to help the state of North Carolina include a gubernatorial appointment to the Joint Legislative JOBS (Joining our Business and Schools) Commission, legislative appointment to the Blue Ribbon Commission to Study the Building and Infrastructure Needs of the State, and most recently, a gubernatorial appointment to the NC Works Commission. She served on the leadership team for the creation of the STEM WAKE/NC State High School. This magnet high school was developed for students underrepresented in STEM and focuses on project-based learning based on the National Academy of Engineering Grand Challenges.

Townsend also helped to bring the NC Future City Middle School outreach competition to North Carolina, now hosted by NC State. Townsend is a strong advocate for NC State who has served on the Civil Engineering Advisory Board, the NC State Engineering Foundation Board, and the NCSU Board of Visitors, and previously chaired the Paul Zia Lecture committee. Townsend served as President of Professional Engineers of North Carolina, and the PENC Educational Foundation, and is a PENC Fellow.

James Trogdon, BSCE 1984, MSCE 1990

James Trogdon earned a BSCE in 1984 and an MSCE in 1990. He is the former secretary and chief executive officer of the North Carolina Department of Transportation — which represents the second-largest state-maintained transportation system in the U.S. with more than 80,000 miles of roads, seven ferry routes, intercity passenger rail, public transit, aviation, and more than 12,000 employees. Trogdon led the effort to substantially compress project development timelines and obtain legislative enactment of the state’s largest transportation bond. He helped increase transportation revenues while providing a substantial increase in capital program delivery. These efforts resulted in the acceleration of projects across the state that had been delayed for decades. In addition to his 27-year transportation career, Trogdon retired in 2016 as the Deputy Adjutant General – North Carolina National Guard. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in 1983 as a Distinguished Military Graduate Reserve Officer Training Corps at NC State. He served in the Engineer Company, Engineer Battalion, and Brigade Commands, performing engineering construction missions in more than a dozen countries throughout the world in support of combatant command theater engagement strategies. He was mobilized and deployed on active duty in 2003 in support of Operation Noble Eagle. He was again deployed on active duty in 2006 for Operation Iraqi Freedom as Commander, 105th Engineer Group in support of Multi-National Division North and the 25th Infantry Division during the Iraq “surge.” Trogdon was selected in 2011 by the U.S. Secretary of Defense to Joint Task Force Panther as Commander of all Department of Defense assets in support of the 2012 Democratic National Convention and National Special Security Event.

Dr. Lawrence Twisdale, CE 1969, MSCE 1970

Twisdale received a B.S. in civil engineering in 1969, a master’s in civil engineering in 1970, and a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois. He began his career as a senior engineer with Carolina Power and Light in Raleigh, N.C. He founded the Southeast Division of Applied Research Associates Inc. in 1982, which has become ARA’s largest office with more than 300 employees. He was a principal of the firm and an executive vice president, serving on ARA’s Board for 30 years. He retired in the Fall 2020 semester and consults today on selected projects. He was principal investigator on more than 200 projects during his career. Twisdale developed the TORMIS software that analyzes tornado-generated missile risk to nuclear power plant components and structures. He also developed hurricane vulnerability, mitigation, and loss models that became part of FEMA’s HAZUS software suite and ARA’s HURLOSS insurance software tool. Twisdale led the development of the first-ever Tornado Wind Speed Risk Maps for the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Twisdale was an active member of ASCE for more than 40 years. He and his wife, Fran, established a Charitable Remainder Unitrust in 2013 through the NC State Engineering Foundation.

C. E. Vick Jr., CE 1956

This distinguished engineer received his M.S. degree in 1960 and his B.S. in 1956 in Civil Engineering. He was one of the founders of Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc., a Raleigh-based engineering, planning, and environmental consulting firm. Today, the firm currently employs over 2,800 people and has 84 offices in 28 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. As president from 1972-1992 and as chairman from 1992 to 2000, he directed the continual expansion of Kimley-Horn’s services.

Vick was a registered professional engineer in 15 states as well as a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners. He was a past member of the Board of Directors of the NCSU Engineering Foundation and, at the time of his death, was serving on the Board of Trustees of NCSU’s Kenan Institute for Engineering, Technology & Sciences, the Meredith College Board of Trustees, the Board of Trustees of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Foundation, the Associated Baptist Press Board, as well as the NCSU Board of Visitors.

He was the recipient of numerous awards, including the NC Society of Engineers Outstanding Achievement Award and in 2007 was inducted into the North Carolina Transportation Hall of Fame.

C. Michael Walton, CE 1969

This distinguished alumnus received his master’s degree and Ph.D. in 1969 and 1971, respectively, in Civil Engineering. He earned his B.S. degree in Civil Engineering from Virginia Military Institute in 1963. Currently, he is a Professor of Civil Engineering and holds the Ernest H. Cockrell Centennial Chair in Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin (UT).  In addition, he holds a joint academic appointment in the LBJ School of Public Affairs.

In other professional society leadership positions, he is a past Chair of the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Executive Committee, past Chair of the Board of the American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA), a founding member and past Chair of the Board of Directors of the Intelligent Transportation Society (ITS) of America, past President of the Board of Governors of the Transportation and Development Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), and others such as the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE).

Dr. Walton has received numerous honors and awards.  Dr. Walton was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1993, a Distinguished Member of the ASCE, and a member of the inaugural class of ITS America’s ITS Hall of Fame. He also was inducted into the Texas Transportation Hall of Honor, and the ARTBA Hall of Fame and is an NCSU College of Engineering Distinguished Engineering Alumnus. Other honors include the Outstanding Projects and Leaders (OPAL) award from the ASCE; named to America’s Top 100 Private Sector Transportation Design and Construction Professionals of the 20th Century (ARTBA).  AASHTO-ARTBA-TRB presented the George S. Bartlett Award for outstanding contributions to highway progress and is considered to be among the highest honors in the highway transportation profession. As well as the Council of University Transportation Centers (CUTC) award for distinguished contribution to university transportation education and research.

Dr. Walton has contributed to numerous publications in the areas of ITS, freight transport, transportation engineering, planning, policy, and economics, and he has delivered several hundred presentations.  He received his BS in CE from VMI and his MCE and Ph.D. from NCSU as well as an Honorary Doctorate from the Nagoya Institute of Technology.

William J. Wilhelm, Ph.D. CE 1968

Dr. Wilhelm received his Ph.D. in 1968 in civil engineering. Upon completion of his Ph.D., he accepted a position on the CE faculty at West Virginia University in 1967. While at WVU, he progressed through the ranks and served as chair and professor of civil engineering for five years. In 1979, he was selected by Wichita State University to serve as Dean of Engineering. He retired in 2000 and was named Dean and Professor of Engineering Emeritus. Wilhelm has been a long-time member of the NC State Alumni Association and he and his wife, Patricia, have contributed to the College of Engineering Annual Fund for many years.

Charles “Chuck” T. Wilson, Jr., BCSE 1965

Charles “Chuck” T. Wilson, Jr., earned his BSCE in 1965. After graduation, he enlisted in the Navy. He served as a damage control officer on a U.S. Navy Destroyer and as a chief engineering officer on a Landing Ship Tank before joining his father in the family business in 1969. Charles Wilson Sr. (BSCE 1930), founded a commercial construction company C.T. Wilson Construction Co. in 1952 to perform preconstruction and construction management services across North Carolina.

In 1980, he passed leadership to his son. When Charles Sr. passed away in 1995, Wilson and his mother created the Charles T. Wilson scholarship for CCEE students pursuing a degree in construction management. Wilson and his wife, Jean, later endowed the C.T. Wilson Construction Co. Association of General Contractors (AGC) Student Chapter fund to honor his father’s role as a founder of the AGC student chapter at NC State — the first AGC student chapter in the nation. The family has also been active in the professional chapter, Carolinas AGC, with Chuck’s son, Charlie (BSCE 1993), finishing his board of directors’ term in 2023. The company is now in its third generation of management. Wilson has served on numerous boards for both civic and industry-affiliated organizations as an advocate for education, minority participation, workforce development, and health care.

He has been a strong supporter of NC State’s College of Engineering and is an active member of First Presbyterian Church in Durham, North Carolina. He currently serves on the Durham Tech Community College Board of Trustees. His philanthropic efforts have included Families Moving Forward, Urban Ministries, The Institute for Minority Economic Development, and Lincoln Health. Wilson was inducted into the CAGC Hall of Fame in 2017 and received the Lincoln Health Center Foundation Legacy Award in 2023. Wilson is a Durham native and a proud grandfather of four.

Louis E. Wooten, Sr., BCSE 1917

Louis E. Wooten, Sr.’s endeavors helped fuel North Carolina’s expansion as a state with modern infrastructure and a diverse scope of industry, elevating the quality of life, protecting the environment, and creating opportunities. Wooten earned a BSCE in 1917.

He enlisted in the Army and was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant. From 1920-34, Wooten taught at NC State and lectured for a year at Yale University. With just $750 in his bank account, he founded the Wooten Company on Oct. 3, 1936. The company’s early accomplishments in North Carolina include expanding Camp Lejeune, providing advance planning for the Tactical Group Area for the Marine Corps at Cherry Point, and proposing and acquiring rights-of-way for the alignment of major Raleigh thoroughfare Western Boulevard.

Along with NC State professor Charles Howard Kahn, Wooten designed and oversaw the construction of NC State’s Carter-Finley Stadium. Its award-winning lighting system earned acclaim from the Illuminating Engineering Society. After the passage of the Clean Water Act in 1972, Wooten partnered with dozens of rural communities to establish essential water and wastewater systems. Many relationships forged in the following decades continue today with Wooten Company’s six regional offices.

Wooten was involved in several engineering organizations including as vice president of the N.C. Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the inaugural president of the American Council of Engineering Companies of N.C. In addition, Wooten supported the Kiwanis Club of Raleigh. Following his passing in 1993, his family donated 21 acres to the City of Raleigh for Wooten Meadow Park. In 1998, The Wooten Company established the Louis E. Wooten, Sr. Memorial Endowed Scholarship for students pursuing a degree in environmental engineering at NC State. Today, the firm aligns with CCEE’s Firm of the Month program to continuously renew the founder’s connection with bright young minds at the university he loved all his life.

Robert G. Wright, CE 1968

This distinguished alumnus earned his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering with a focus on construction from North Carolina State University in 1968 and his MBA from UNC-Chapel Hill in 1974.

From 1969 to 1972, he served as a captain in the US Army Corps of Engineers, and in 1974, he joined Peat, Marwick, Mitchell, and Company as an accountant. In 1979, he joined Kimley-Horn and Associates and served as president and then chairman of the company.

A dedicated alumnus, he previously served as a member of the NC State Engineering Foundation Board of Directors, serving as president of the board from 2002-04. He was also a member of the Industry Advisory Board for the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering.

G. Smedes York, CE 1963

An outstanding graduate who earned his B.S. degree in Civil Engineering in 1963 with high honors and his MBA degree from UNC-Chapel Hill in 1968 with the Dean’s Scholar Award. This distinguished alumnus has risen rapidly in engineering and business management to become one of the most dynamic leaders in the construction industry and the business sector of North Carolina.

In addition, he has made his mark in public service and is recognized for his contributions to the planning and development of Raleigh, Wake County, and the Research Triangle. From 1979-1983 he was Mayor of the City of Raleigh, having served also on the City Council. He is President of York Construction Co. of Raleigh, Inc., York Properties, Inc., and other corporations.

His professional affiliations are many, including first vice president, Board of Trustees of the Urban Land Institute, and member of the Institute of Real Estate Management. Active in many charitable and educational organizations, he is the immediate past president of the NC State Alumni Association. He serves as a member of the Engineering Advisory Council, the Development Board and Executive Committee, and the Student Aid Association Board of Directors. He is also a member of the Watauga Club. Among his many awards is the 1977 Outstanding Young Alumni Award.

J.W. Willie York, CE 1933

Mr. York received his B.S. in civil engineering with a construction option in 1933. Following graduation, Mr. York worked at C. V. York Construction Co. until 1941 when he left Raleigh to work on construction at the Marine Corps base in Cherry Point, NC. Following World War II, he established his business (J. W. York and Co., now known as York Properties) in Raleigh which built post-war housing.

In 1949, York branched into commercial real estate development, building Cameron Village — one of the first suburban shopping centers in the country — surrounded by 561 apartments and 100 homes. The project won the National Association of Homebuilders’ award for best neighborhood development and is still in use and evolving today.

In addition to his business acumen, York was a leader in the community, serving the state as Chairman of the Board of Conservation and Development from 1964 to 1968 under Governor Dan Moore and on the Raleigh school board. York put forth the motion to desegregate the Wake County school system in 1960 and the school board honored his leadership by naming a Raleigh elementary school after him. York remained connected to the University until his passing through both philanthropy and volunteerism.

Deborah Bell Young, BSCE 1977

Young was one of the first Black women to receive a B.S. in civil engineering from N.C. State (1977) and to earn an M.S. in civil engineering-environmental engineering from the University of Pittsburgh (1980). She received an MBA from Fuqua, Duke University in 1997. Young retired as the Global Health, Safety, and Environmental Capital director for Honeywell International Inc., (AlliedSignal) in 2015. Debbie worked at Honeywell for nearly 35 years in various leadership roles.

She was a charter member and president of NC State’s Society of Women Engineers and a charter member of NC State’s Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Mu Omicron chapter. Young has been involved in several organizations including the Richmond Minorities in Engineering Partnership, The Links, Incorporated, and the N.C. State Engineering Foundation Board of Directors.

She has held numerous roles in the Episcopal church, including vestry wardens and Diocese leadership. Debbie is a loyal contributor to CCEE, including the endowment of the Deborah Bell and Gary Young Scholarship, the CCEE Enhancement Fund, and the Fitts- Woolard Hall Building.