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

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