Distinguished Alumni

Each year, the Mechanical Engineering Department honors alumni who have made a lasting and significant impact in industry, in public service, or in academia.  Our Mechanical Engineering Distinguished Alumni are:

Charter Members

P.J. “Jim” Adam

Former Chairman and CEO, Black & Veatch

B.S. Mechanical Engineering, 1956

Robert J. Eaton

Former Chairman and CEO, Chrysler Corporation

Member, National Academy of Engineering

B.S. Mechanical Engineering, 1963

Forrest E. Hoglund

Chairman and CEO, SeaOne Maritime Corporation

Former Chairman, Forest Oil Company

Former Chairman and CEO, EOG Resources

Former Chairman and CEO, Texas Oil & Gas

B.S. Mechanical Engineering, 1956

Mou-Hui King

Co-founder, Former President and Chairman, China Steel Corporation

B.S. Mechanical Engineering, 1944

2023

Rich Smith

Henderson Engineers, President and CEO

B.S. Mechanical Engineering, 1986

M.S. Aerospace Engineering, 1991

2022

Chris Johnson

SVP & GM, Maxar Space

President, Boeing Satellite Systems

B.S. Mechanical Engineering, 1999

2020

Scott Stallard

Chief Technology Officer, Atonix Digital

Vice President, Black & Veatch

B.S. Mechanical Engineering, 1981

2019

Dr. Stephen E. Kibbee

Partner, Atlanta Offshore Limited

B.S.Mechanical Engineering, 1973

2018

George L. Cooper

Former Vice President, Medical Gas Division, Puritan Bennett

B.S. Mechanical Engineering, 1949

Charles E. Miller

Founder and President, Engineering Measurements Company, ECM and Associates

B.S. Mechanical Engineering, 1960

2017

Angela Chammas

Former Vice President, Sprint Nextel

B.S. Mechanical Engineering, 1979

Mohammed Zikry

Distinguished Professor, North Carolina State University

B.S. Mechanical Engineering, 1980

2016

Michael Noland

Former Director, Analytical Sciences, Exxon

B.S. Mechanical Engineering, 1962

M.S. Mechanical Engineering, 1966

2015

F. Joseph Fischer

Former Research Advisor, Shell Oil Company Research

B.S. Mechanical Engineering, 1962

Mehdi Jalayerian

Executive Vice President, Environmental Systems Design

B.S. Mechanical Engineering, 1981

M.S. Mechanical Engineering, 1982

2014

Carl L. McClung

Former Manager of Large Engine Technology, Caterpillar

B.S. Mechanical Engineering, 1962

2013

Norm Carroll

Founder and President, Applied Test Systems

B.S. Mechanical Engineering, 1951

Donald W. Faught

Former President-Europe, DuPont Dow Elastomers

B.S. Mechanical Engineering, 1973

Bill G. Tompkins

NRG Source, Inc.

Former General Manager, Black, Sivals & Bryson

Former Research Director, Halliburton KBR/Granherne

D. Eng. 1970

2012

John A. Basile

Engineering Manager, Consolidated Edison Company of New York

B.S. Mechanical Engineering, 1962

Paul H. Mitchell

Former Vice President of Advanced Research and Development, NIKE Inc.

B.S. Mechanical Engineering, 1962

2011

Gerald H. Frieling, Jr.

President, Frieling & Associates

Former Chairman and CEO, Tokheim Corp.

B.S. Mechanical Engineering, 1951

2010

Kwang-Sun Kim

Professor, Korea University of Technology and Education

M.S. Mechanical Engineering, 1983

Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering, 1986

Roy Edward McAlister

Chief Executive Officer, Hydrogen Association

President, American Hydrogen Association

B.S. Mechanical Engineering, 1964

2009

Jon Edmonds

President, Edmonds Manufacturing

B.S. Mechanical Engineering, 1962

Ronald E. Hill

Founder and President, HEMCO Manufacturing

B.S. Mechanical Engineering, 1958

2008

Michael Garrison

Former Marketing Director, George Butler Associates

B.S. Mechanical Engineering, 1962

David L. Kruse

Former Senior Vice President, American Airlines

B.S. Mechanical Engineering, 1967

2007

Peter E. Jenkins

Former Dean, University of Colorado Denver

B.S. Mechanical Engineering, 1965

Jack A. Knuth

Former President, Honeywell Federal Manufacturing and Technologies

M.S. Mechanical Engineering, 1968

2006

George W. Forman

Faculty member in the Mechanical Engineering Department for 30 years

M.S. Mechanical Engineering, 1957

Harry T. Gibson

Former Technical Manager USA Refining, ExxonMobil

Forward, KU Basketball 1962-1964; Big-8 All-Academic First Team, 1964

B.S. Mechanical Engineering, 1965

2005

Frank E. Gordon

Head, Research and Applied Sciences, Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center, San Diego

B.S. Mechanical Engineering, 1967

D. Eng. Mechanical Engineering, 1971

Kenneth Razak

Former Dean, Wichita State School of Business

Former Dean, Wichita State School of Engineering

B.S. Mechanical Engineering, 1939

M.S. Mechanical Engineering, 1942

2004

L. Joseph Bauman

Former Chairman, President and CEO, Cardinal Brands

Former Vice President of Manufacturing, Personal Computers, IBM

Former Dean, University of Kansas School of Business

B.S. Mechanical Engineering, 1961

2003

Charles W. Salanski

Former President and COO, Wire Rope Corporation of America

B.S. Mechanical Engineering, 1957

James W. Straight

Group Leader, Los Alamos National Laboratory

B.S. Mechanical Engineering, 1963

M.S. Mechanical Engineering, 1963

2002

LaRoux K. Gillespie

Former Manager of Technical Operations, Honeywell

President, Society of Manufacturing Engineers

B.S. Mechanical Engineering, 1965

M.S. Mechanical Engineering, 1968

Robert C. Umholtz

Faculty member in the Mechanical Engineering Department for 59 years

B.S. Mechanical Engineering, 1951

M.S. Mechanical Engineering, 1953