Academy of Distinguished Alumni

Degree: BE'65, MS'66
Induction Year: 2009

After receiving his undergraduate (BE’65) and master’s (MS’66) degrees at Vanderbilt, Carl E. Adams Jr. completed his Ph.D. in environmental health engineering at the University of Texas, Austin. Today he is a principal at ENVIRON, an environmental consulting firm based in Brentwood, Tenn.

Adams is considered one of the leading international experts in industrial wastewater management. He has consulted on more than 1,000 domestic and foreign industrial wastewater management projects and is the author of more than 100 technical publications and presentations and co-author and editor of four books and several engineering manuals regarding industrial wastewater treatment design and management.

In 2005 Adams was inducted into the Academy of Distinguished Alumni in the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering at the University of Texas, Austin. He and his wife, Nan, live in Nashville. They have three children, Carl, Preston Davis and Kaitlin.

Degree: BE'53
Induction Year: 2003

Howell E. Adams Jr. graduated from the School of Engineering in 1953 with a degree in civil engineering. He was a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers. Upon graduation Adams entered the Naval Civil Engineer Corps, where he served until 1956. Adams went to work at Westinghouse before starting his career at The Trane Co., a leading global provider of heating and air conditioning systems. After working as a sales engineer, Adams became dealer sales manager, general manager and franchise owner/CEO. He retired in 2000 after 40 years with Trane.

Adams’ service to Vanderbilt has been extensive. He served as Reunion 1998 fundraising chair, was on the Alumni Board of Directors in 1987 and also served on the Engineering Alumni Council. He and his brother, Thomas E. Adams, BE'58, and his sister, Dabney Hart, MA'49, established the Crenshaw and Howell Adams Sr. Scholarship in Engineering in honor of their parents to assist students pursuing an engineering education.

In 2001 Howell Adams and his wife, along with many family members, dedicated the Adams Atrium located in Featheringill Hall. This three-story atrium was named in memory of Adam Gillespie Adams Jr. and his seven sons, all of whom attended Vanderbilt. The Adams family connection with Vanderbilt can be traced back five generations to 1882. Harris Oswalt, BE’06, is the 75th family member to attend Vanderbilt.

Adams is also involved in the Atlanta community. His board memberships have included the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Columbia Theological Seminary and Atlanta Boy Scouts. Adams has also been active on boards of the United Way, YMCA, Boy Scouts, Young Life, Atlanta Rotary Club, Exodus and other civic organizations. He has been a deacon, chairman of the stewardship committee, and elder of the Trinity Presbyterian Church. Adams’s awards include the YMCA Lay Person of the Year in 1980 and 1986, Phi Delta Theta Outstanding Alumnus in 1981, ASHRAE Alco Award for Community Service in 1981 and Boy Scouts of America Silver Beaver in 1982.

Adams and his wife, Madeline, have five children.

Degree: BE'47
Induction Year: 2006

Nashville native William B. Akers enrolled in Vanderbilt University in 1942, and was there for two years before entering the U.S. Navy during World War II. The Navy sent him to the University of Oklahoma, where he graduated in 1945 with a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering. He then went to Midshipmen’s School at Cornell University. World War II ended while he was at Cornell, and he was ordered to sea duty in the Pacific and served as a member of the task force for Operation Crossroads at Bikini for the atom bomb test in June 1946.

Akers received his honorable discharge from the Navy in 1946 and re-enrolled in the Vanderbilt School of Engineering. He earned his bachelor of engineering degree in civil engineering in 1947 and went on to obtain his master of science degree in civil engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1948.

After M.I.T., Akers worked as a soils engineer for the Corps of Engineers in Vicksburg, Miss. In 1949 he founded and became president of Asphalt Products, a materials manufacturer. In 1956 he and his brother Clark formed the Globe Co., a highway contractor. In 1980 they formed the Parent Co. Inc., a general contractor in Nashville. In 1981 they sold all the companies and retired.

Akers has contributed to Vanderbilt in a number of ways. In the 1970s he led a crucially important fundraising campaign for Vanderbilt School of Engineering, which was largely responsible for saving the school. He was a charter member of the board of the Nashville Better Business Bureau and served on the board of the Family and Children’s Services, was president of the Nashville Area Junior Chamber of Commerce, and was a co-founder and former president of the Hundred Club of Nashville.

Akers, his wife, Jo Ann, and their four children are all Vanderbilt graduates. They and their families live in Nashville.

Degree: BE'65
Induction Year: 2011

Robert G. Anderson serves as chairman of the R.G. Anderson Co. Inc. A Nashville native with more than 40 years of experience, Anderson possesses extensive expertise in all types of construction. His leadership skills in project planning and project management have positioned him as a genuine asset to clients and colleagues alike.

After receiving his bachelor of engineering from Vanderbilt University, he joined Rodgers Construction Co. Anderson progressed through the ranks from engineer trainee, project coordinator, project manager, division manager, vice president and group vice president to be named president in 1981. During Anderson's service at Rodgers, the Nashville-based company grew from a small metal building contractor to one of the most prolific builders of healthcare facilities in the country and one of the 10 largest building contractors in the United States.

The R.G. Anderson Company Inc. was founded in 1989 and engages in all types of commercial and institutional construction. It consistently ranks among the top construction companies in Middle Tennessee.

Anderson is a charter member of the Construction Management Association of America, and a former member of the Private Industry Council of Nashville, the Hospital Research and Development Institute and the Florida Industry License Association. He is a former member of the state board of California's Associated General Contractors of America and a former president of the Vanderbilt Club. Anderson served on the board of directors or Associated Builders and Contractors Inc. and as its president in 1985. He is also a former member of the board of directors of the Middle Tennessee branch of Associated General Contractors of America and served as its president in 1998 and 1999. He served three years on the Vanderbilt University Engineering Alumni Council, is a member of the Fred J. Lewis Society and is currently serving on the Committee of Visitors. He is a former member of the board of directors of Franklin Road Academy. Anderson is a member of the executive board of the Tennessee Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

Anderson and Cherry, his wife of 40 years, have two grown children who live in Nashville.

Degree: BE'37, MS'38, PhD'41
Induction Year: 1976

Degree: BE'43
Induction Year: 1981

Degree: BE'43

Induction Year: 1989

Degree: BE'66

Induction Year: 1999

Dennis C. Bottorff, a member of the Vanderbilt Board of Trust since 1990, received his bachelor of engineering from Vanderbilt in 1966 and his MBA from Northwestern University in 1968.

He began his career in banking in 1968 at Commerce Union Bank in Nashville and in 1981 became its president. In 1984 he was elected chairman and CEO of Commerce Union Corp. and Commerce Union Bank. When Sovran Financial Corp. acquired Commerce Union Corp. in 1987, Bottorff was named vice chair and director. He became president and chief operating officer in 1989. When Sovran was acquired by NCNB to form Nations Bank in 1991, Bottorff returned to Nashville to become president and CEO of First American. He stayed with First American (later AmSouth Bancorporation) until 2001. He is presently chairman of Council Ventures, a venture capital firm.

Bottorff has been active in a number of civic organizations, including serving as chairman of the Tennessee Education Lottery Corp. He also chaired the boards of the Tennessee Performing Arts Center, the United Way, the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, the Nashville Symphony, and the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. An avid sports fan, he has served on the board of the Sports Authority of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and on the Tennessee Titans Advisory Committee. In the business arena, he has served on the boards of directors of the American Bankers Association, the Jack C. Massey School of Business at Belmont University, the Financial Services Roundtable, the Tennessee Valley Authority and Leadership Nashville. He also serves as a director for Ingram Industries, Dollar General and Benefit Informatics.
He and his wife, Jean, have two children and three grandchildren.

Degree: BE'89
Induction Year: 2017

Kimberly Bryant, BE’89, is the founder and executive director of Black Girls CODE, a nonprofit organization dedicated to “changing the face of technology” by introducing girls of color (ages 7-17) to the field of technology and computer science with a concentration on entrepreneurial concepts.

For more than 25 years, Bryant has enjoyed a successful professional career in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries as an engineering manager in a series of technical leadership roles for various Fortune 100 companies such as Genentech, Merck and Pfizer. Since 2011, Kimberly has helped Black Girls CODE grow from a local organization serving only the Bay Area, to an international organization with chapters across the U.S. and in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Bryant serves on the National Champions Board for the National Girls Collaborative Project and the National Board of the NCWIT K-12 Alliance. She has received national recognition as a social innovator and for her work to increase opportunities for women and girls in the tech industry. Bryant was given the prestigious Jefferson Award for Community Service for her work to support communities in the Bay Area. She was highlighted by Business Insider on its list of “The 25 Most Influential African Americans in Technology” and was named to The Root 100 and Ebony Power 100 lists. She was invited to the White House as a Champion of Change for her work in tech inclusion and for her focus on bridging the digital divide for girls of color. Additionally, Kimberly received an American Ingenuity Award in Social Progress from the Smithsonian along with being given the Inaugural Women Who Rule Award in Technology via Politico. She has been identified as a thought leader in the area of tech inclusion and has spoken on the topic at events such as Personal Democracy Forum, TedX Kansas City, Platform Summit, Big Ideas Festival, SXSW and many others.

Degree: BE'71, MS'72

Induction Year: 1998

Degree: 
BE'77
Induction Year: 2016

Following his graduation from Vanderbilt University in 1977 with a degree in mechanical engineering, retired Vice Admiral Kendall Card was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Navy. He began his naval career as an aviator, flying helicopters from the decks of the aircraft carriers USS Theodore Roosevelt, USS Saratoga, USS Enterprise, and others in tours at sea that included operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. After his successful command of Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron Fifteen and his graduation from the Navy’s Nuclear Power School, he was promoted to commanding officer of the USS Rainier. In 2002 he became commanding officer of the USS Abraham Lincoln, overseeing 5,600 sailors and marines in operations Enduring Freedom, Southern Watch and Iraqi Freedom as well as in Operation Unified Assistance in support of tsunami relief for Indonesia.

Kendall was later promoted to Rear Admiral and held leadership positions in communications and intelligence. He first served as director of command control systems for the Navy’s North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command in Colorado. His next major assignment was to the Pentagon, where he served as director of concepts, strategies, and integration for information dominance on the staff of the Chief of Naval Operations. In his final Pentagon assignment as a three-star admiral, he concurrently served as deputy chief of naval operations for information dominance and the 64th director of naval intelligence.

Upon retiring from the military in 2013, Kendall joined Oak Ridge National Laboratory as director of U.S. Department of Defense and Intelligence Community Integration for the Global Security Directorate. In this role he focuses on leveraging the lab’s scientific and technological advancements to tackle the nation’s most pressing defense and security challenges with an emphasis on building partnerships with other U.S. government agencies.

In addition to his undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt University, Kendall holds a master’s degree in national security and strategic studies from the U.S. Naval War College and is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School. His awards include the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal and Bronze Star.

Kendall and his wife, Becky, have two children and six grandchildren and are avid baseball fans. His favorite activities include exercising, which he does often, and golfing, which he does poorly.

Degree: 
BE'59
Induction Year: 2001

Degree: 
BE'84
Induction Year: 2021

Cashin graduated summa cum laude from Vanderbilt University in 1984 with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. As a Marshall Scholar, she received a master’s degree in English Law with honors from Oxford University.

Cashin received a J.D. with honors from Harvard Law School, where she was a member of the Harvard Law Review. She was law clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall and Judge Abner Mikva of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

For her two decades of writing and advocacy for residential and school integration, the Fair Housing Justice Center honored her with the 2017 Acting for Justice Award for Outstanding Contributions to Civil Rights.

She is the author of five books. Her new book, “White Space, Black ‘Hood: Opportunity Hoarding and Segregation in the Age of Inequality” (forthcoming, Beacon 2021), is about the role of residential segregation in producing racial inequality.

Cashin’s 2014 book, “Place Not Race,” recommended radical reforms of selective college admissions to promote robust diversity; it was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Non-Fiction in 2015. Her 2004 book, “The Failures of Integration,” explored the persistence and consequences of race and class segregation. It was an Editors’ Choice in the New York Times Book Review. Cashin is also a three-time nominee for the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award for non-fiction in 2005, 2009, and 2018.

She has published widely in academic journals and is a contributing editor for Politico Magazine. Cashin has also contributed book chapters and is a frequent radio and television commentator.

Cashin was born and raised in Huntsville, Alabama, where her parents were political activists. She lives in Washington D.C. with her husband and twin sons.

Degree: BE'60
Induction Year: 2006

Fred J. Cassetty Jr. graduated from Vanderbilt in 1960 with a bachelor of engineering degree. A Nashville native, Fred attended the Duncan School and graduated from Montgomery Bell Academy.

The death of his father just prior to his college graduation meant that Cassetty had to enter the coal business his family had owned for three generations. Although he had no prior business training or experience, his Vanderbilt engineering education helped him tackle the challenge of running the business. He bought the company from his mother in 1964 and expanded it over the years through mergers, acquisitions and forward-thinking marketing.

In 1971 he purchased Capitol Building Supply. This Nashville-based business has grown to a regional firm with 12 offices throughout the southeastern United States. He started Alley Cassetty Trucking in 1972 to help with his own trucking needs. He expanded this enterprise, and in 1980 he purchased a truck repair service. The trucking company has developed into Alley-Cassetty Truck Center, which sells and services Western Star, Mitsubishi and Ottowa trucks.

Cassetty’s involvement with business and civic organizations has included membership in the Nashville, West Kentucky, and Lexington coal associations, the Nashville Home Builders Association, the Brick Institute of America, the American Trucking Association, the Rotary Club of Nashville, the Nashville Symphony Advisory Committee, the Society of International Business and the Business Leadership Council, and Blakemore United Methodist Church.

Cassetty has two children and four grandchildren.

Degree: 
BE'36
Induction Year: 1984

Degree: 
BS'86, MBA'88
Induction Year: 2023

Douglas Chope graduated from Vanderbilt’s School of Engineering in 1986 and two years later earned his MBA at the Owen Graduate School of Management. He is currently Principal Solutions Engineer for Tableau, a data-visualization software company that is now part of Salesforce. Over a 35-year career in the big-data industry, working for companies including Oracle and MicroStrategy, Chope has served in roles at the leading edge of data integration, analytics and visualization. In his position at Tableau, Chope helped develop innovative public health applications for New York City, as well as the states of Massachusetts, New York and New Hampshire. An active philanthropist, Chope serves on the boards of Brookline Music School and Excel Academy Charter. He and his wife, Teresa Ford Chope, BA’87, live in Boston and have three children, two of whom are current Vanderbilt undergraduates.

Degree: 
BS'75
Induction Year: 2010

Dr. André L. Churchwell is associate professor of medicine, associate professor of radiology and radiological sciences, associate professor of biomedical engineering, and associate dean for diversity in graduate medical education and faculty affairs at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.  He was named the 2005 Walter R. Murray Jr. Distinguished Alumnus by the Association of Vanderbilt Black Alumni. The award recognizes lifetime achievements in personal, professional and community arenas.

Churchwell graduated from the Vanderbilt School of Engineering magna cum laude in 1975. He won the Biomedical Engineering Student Program Award that same year. He received his medical degree from Harvard Medical School in 1979 and later completed his internship, residency and cardiology fellowship at Emory University School of Medicine and affiliated hospitals in Atlanta. In addition, he was the first African American chief medical resident at Grady Memorial Hospital (1984–1985).

Churchwell received the J. Willis Hurst Award for Best Clinical Teacher in 1991 from Emory and in 2004 he was named the Emory University School of Medicine Resident Alumni Distinguished Achievement Award winner. For the past nine years he has been named one of the nation's top cardiologists in “The Best Doctors in America.”

In 1986 while at Emory he was also named Most Outstanding House Officer, made an honorary Morehouse Medical School class member and he received a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Minority Medical Faculty Development Award.

Churchwell lives in Brentwood, Tenn., and is married to Doreatha Henderson Churchwell, a nurse educator at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. They have two children, Crystal A. Churchwell and André L. Churchwell Jr.

Degree: 
BE'76
Induction Year: 2013

G. Edmond "Ed" Clark, a Shelbyville, Tenn. native, graduated magna cum laude from Vanderbilt with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering in 1976. Upon graduation from Vanderbilt, Clark moved to Houston, Texas, to work for Exxon. He received an MBA in finance from the University of Houston in 1979.

He moved to Memphis in 1983 to begin a 27-year career at Federal Express, where he served in a variety of roles including senior leadership positions. In 2000 he formed the subsidiary FedEx Trade Networks, which became the largest customs broker in North America and an international freight forwarding and trade consulting firm. Clark retired in 2009 after a decade as president and CEO of FTN.

He now leads Clark Investments LLC and is active in numerous local service initiatives. Additionally, he has established the Clark School for AIDS orphans in Kenya. He and his wife, Sue, BA'77, created the Ed and Sue Clark Scholarship in Engineering.

Degree: 
BE'54
Induction Year: 2007

William Robert (Bob) Clay was born in Old Hickory, Tenn., and grew up in the greater Nashville area. In 1950 he graduated from Goodlettsville High School where he played football and was president of his senior class. Clay graduated cum laude from the Vanderbilt School of Engineering in 1954 with a bachelor of engineering degree.

Clay began his career with the DuPont Co. in 1954, and except for a two-year period of service as a lieutenant in the Army Corps of Engineers, he worked for DuPont until his retirement in December 1990.

From 1958 to1968, he was involved in the development of electrical insulating materials made with Nomex®, a strong, heat-resistant material. He won the Marketers’ Award at the 1979 Electrical/Electronic Insulation Conference in recognition of his accomplishments with the successful development and marketing of Nomex paper. In 1978 he was named director of the industrial fibers division.

During the last 10 years of his career, he served on 13 different subsidiary or joint-venture boards. Most of that time he was either chairman of DuPont in Geneva with responsibility for Europe, the Middle East and Africa or vice president, international, with responsibility for Latin America and Asia Pacific. He was vice president, imaging systems, when he retired.

Clay’s charitable and nonprofit activities include serving on the University of South Carolina Advisory Board for International Business, the Council of the Americas Board of Directors, the National Foreign Trade Council, and the Advisory Group on Capital Development for Mexico. He also chaired a capital campaign to build a Latin American community center in Wilmington, Del. He served on the board for the Conservancy of Southwest Florida and was chairman of the board from 2001 through 2003. He also served on the vestry of Christ Episcopal Church in Bradenton, Fla.

Clay has been a consistent contributor to Vanderbilt for the past 50 years. He was chair for the class of 1954’s 45th reunion. In 2004 he established the W. Robert Clay Scholarship which provides funding for deserving undergraduate students of engineering. This fund is also the beneficiary of a charitable remainder unitrust established in 1999 and a charitable gift annuity established in 2006 through Vanderbilt’s Office of Planned Giving.

Clay and his wife, Judith Angstadt Clay, live in Bradenton, Fla. They have five children, seven grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.

Degree: 
BE'80
Induction Year: 2008

Sandra (Sandy) Brophy Cochran was born at Fort Benning, Georgia and grew up on Army posts in the United States and Germany.  At Stuttgart American High School, she was a member of the National Honor Society, the tennis team, captain of the cheerleading squad, and President of her class.  She graduated with an Army ROTC scholarship in 1976.

College life started at Lafayette College in Pennsylvania. In 1978, she transferred to Vanderbilt, graduating in 1980 with a BE in Chemical Engineering.

After being commissioned in the Army upon graduation, she attended the Ordnance Officer Basic Course where she was the Honor Graduate in 1981.  Sandy also qualified as a paratrooper and advanced from 2nd Lieutenant to Captain.  She served in the 9th Infantry Division first as a Missile Maintenance Officer in the 1st Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery and then on the Division Staff.  During those years, she earned an MBA at Pacific Lutheran University doing the course work at night, and in 1983 she left the 9th Division for assignment to the Computer Systems Command at Fort Belvoir, Virginia.  Her Army awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Army Parachute Wings, and several service ribbons.

Leaving the Army in 1985, Sandy began work in Atlanta at The Trust Company Bank. Shortly thereafter, Trust Company merged with Sun Banks, forming SunTrust Banks and she advanced to vice president, Corporate Finance.

While at SunTrust she married Donald Cochran, her Vanderbilt undergraduate classmate, who had also been commissioned at graduation. Don served in the 82nd Airborne Division, the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and the Army Special Forces as a High Altitude Low Opening (HALO) parachute team leader.  He is a graduate of Vanderbilt Law School, a former Jefferson County and federal prosecutor, recipient of the highest trial award given by the Department of Justice (the John C. Marshall Award), and now a tenured law professor at the Cumberland Law School of Samford University. Sandra and Don have two children, Katherine and Quinn.

During her time at SunTrust, Sandy met and worked with the Anderson Family, including Charles Anderson and his son Clyde. Charles, whose father founded Books-A-Million in 1917, was at that time chairman of the Books-A-Million Board and Clyde was the president of Books-A-Million.  In 1992, they recruited her to join the company as vice-president Finance.  In October 1992 Books-A Million went public under the symbol BAMM.  She advanced to become chief financial officer in 1993, executive vice president in 1996, president in 1999, and chief executive officer in 2004.

In 1996, in addition to their work at Books-A-Million, Clyde Anderson and Sandy formed Anderson Growth Partners, an investment management company that provides investment and strategic advisory services, primarily to the Anderson Family.  The company currently manages over $418 million in assets, for the most part in the United States, Russia, Eastern Europe, and Asia. Sandy is the President and Managing Partner of AGP. She is also a member of the Board of Directors of American Promotional Events, Inc., the largest importer, distributor, and retailer of consumer fireworks in the United States. Terry Anderson, the CEO of that company, is another member of the Anderson Family.

Books-A-Million has grown to become the second largest bookstore chain in the United States, with more than 260 stores in 30-plus states and the District of Columbia. Books-A-Million enjoys serving the literary needs of its communities, focusing on quality cities like its home town of Birmingham. The company has three stores in the Nashville area in order to better serve the Vanderbilt community, especially Commodore Engineers.

On April 6, 2009, Sandra joined Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc. as the chief financial officer and executive vice president. She was named president and chief operating officer Nov. 3, 2010, and served in that role until she was named chief executive officer of Cracker Barrel Sept. 12, 2011.

Sandy has been a Director of Dollar General Corporation since Dec 5, 2012, and has been an independent director of Lowe's Companies, Inc. since Jan. 29, 2016.

Degree: Ph.D.'89

Induction Year: 2018

James C. Conwell, a native of McMurray, Pennsylvania, is president of Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Indiana, the top ranked undergraduate engineering school in America for 19 years. Conwell earned his bachelor of science and master of science degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of Tennessee before beginning his professional career with Procter and Gamble. In 1989 he earned his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering at Vanderbilt where he taught a number of undergraduate classes. Upon graduation from Vanderbilt, Conwell took a faculty position at Louisiana State University and ultimately, Grove City College. At both of these institutions his research focused on developing assistive devices for the disabled.

Conwell’s next step was as principal in a start-up specializing in the design and build of specialized test facilities, including jet engine test stands, rocket engine test stands, and both high-speed and low-speed wind tunnels. His company was sold to Jacobs Engineering, where Conwell served as senior vice president overseeing design/build projects in the pharmaceutical, petrochemical and mining industries.

Conwell began his tenure at Rose-Hulman on May 1, 2013. His focus there is on growing the name recognition of the school and increasing the opportunities for students from across the world.

Conwell and his wife, Angela, also a mechanical engineer, have two children—Anne, who is finishing her doctorate of nurse practitioner, and James, a third-year medical school student.

Degree: BE'60, PhD'65

Induction Year: 2009

In the early ’60s, George Cook bracketed his two Vanderbilt engineering degrees (BE’60, PhD’65) around a master’s in electrical engineering from the University of Tennessee.

Cook is the associate dean for research and graduate studies and professor of electrical engineering, emeritus, at Vanderbilt’s School of Engineering. He focused his teaching and research on robotics and industrial automation. His work has resulted in a number of U.S. and foreign patents on robotic welding. Cook is a registered professional engineer in Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama and Wisconsin. He is also a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers and the American Welding Society. Cook was a member of the Engineering Alumni Council from 1990-1997.

He and his wife, Mary, live in Brentwood, Tenn.

Degree: 
BE'29
Induction Year: 1980

Degree: BE'65

Induction Year: 2007

Doug Davis grew up in Nashville and spent a year in Germany as an exchange student. He graduated from Vanderbilt in 1965 with a degree in civil engineering.

In 1966 he moved to Vallejo, Calif., to work on deep submersibles for the Mare Island Naval Shipyard. His team of project engineers designed Trieste III, the third generation of the bathyscape Trieste, which reached a record breaking depth of some seven miles in the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean. His team also designed the Deep Submersible Rescue Vehicle, a submarine able to conduct rescue missions for sunken submarines. Davis was then selected to do structural engineering on a top secret Navy project.

In 1969 he moved to Santa Rosa Beach, Fla. where he opened a gourmet seafood restaurant which he sold in 1971. He then moved to Atlanta to work for Bankhead Enterprises, which at the time was the largest manufacturer of car haulers in the United States. While at Bankhead, he learned the railroad industry and in 1978 he founded Diversified Metal Fabricators (DMF).

Today DMF is the leading U.S. manufacturer and supplier of high-rail equipment used to build and maintain railroads. Davis continues to serve as DMF president but is semi-retired and divides his time between Atlanta and Florida. In Atlanta, Davis has supported the Susan G. Komen Foundation, several youth baseball teams, the Sheppard Center catastrophic care hospital and Junior Achievement of Atlanta.

Davis and his wife, Penny, have remained supportive of Vanderbilt. They endowed the Doug and Penny Davis Scholarship for engineering students, and they supported the engineering building fund. He is a longtime member of the Lewis Society.

The Davis’ have a daughter, two stepsons from her previous marriage, and five grandchildren.

Degree: 
BE'50
Induction Year: 2011

William A. Davis Jr. graduated from the School of Engineering in 1950 and was hired as a test engineer with the Charleston Naval Shipyard. After four years in Charleston, he moved to Huntsville, Ala., to begin work as a civilian with the U.S. Army and the fledgling missile defense industry. He became a project engineer with the HAWK air defense system’s research and development program.

In 1963 he initiated research in high energy lasers and in 1966 he was awarded the Sloan Fellowship and received his master’s degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Davis returned to Huntsville and began work again with the U.S. Army Missile Command. In 1971 he became director of the Army Advanced Ballistic Missile Defense Agency’s Huntsville office and in 1975 he became the first director of the Ballistic Missile Defense Advanced Technology Center. In 1977 he was named program manager for the Ballistic Missile Defense Program. He was the senior civilian in a 500-person organization with a $300 million budget for systems and advanced technology programs.

After retiring from the government, he served as vice president of space defense for Teledyne Brown Engineering Inc. He left TBE in 1986 to accept a grant from Carnegie Mellon to write two books on ballistic missile defense and to begin consulting with several companies and government agencies.

Davis’ many awards include a Department of the Army Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service and a Presidential Award for Meritorious Civilian Service. He was also proud of the time he served on the School of Engineering’s Committee of Visitors. He was a member of the Fred J. Lewis Society.

Degree: BE'28

Induction Year: 1974

Degree: BE'95

Induction Year: 2014

Degree: BE'65

Induction Year: 2011

Joe Dorris grew up in Goodlettsville, Tenn. His great-grand- father and great-great-grandfather both graduated from Vanderbilt University Medical School in the 19th century. After graduating from the School of Engineering in 1965, Dorris earned his MBA from the University of Memphis while working full time at RCA Corp.

Dorris has worked in engineering, marketing and management positions at McDonnell Aircraft Corp., RCA, Union Carbide Corp., R.O. Whitesell and Associates and Futaba Corp. of America. He became president and CEO of Futaba, a Japanese subsidiary with manufacturing and distribution operations located in Huntsville, Ala. At Futaba, Dorris steered the company’s North American growth to multimillion-dollar annual revenues. He also founded two U.S. subsidiary companies. In 2006 he retired from Futaba after 26 years.

Dorris has long been a strong supporter of Vanderbilt University. He provided financial support and contracted research with both the Vanderbilt School of Engineering and the Owen Graduate School of Management. He donated equipment to the School of Engineering’s laboratories and to the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. He was a major sponsor of the Vanderbilt Association for Technology Management program. During his time at Futuba, he encouraged two employees to apply to Owen and another to apply for a master’s degree program at the School of Engineering— all received their degrees. In 2005 he received the Vanderbilt School of Engineering Dean’s Distinguished Service Award for his support of the Vanderbilt Motorsports program. He is an active member of the Vanderbilt School of Engineering Committee of Visitors and a member of the Fred J. Lewis Society.

Joe and his wife of 45 years, Claire, spend their retirement in Estero, Fla., and Huntsville, Ala.

Degree: 
BE'71
Induction Year: 2005

David F. Dyer graduated from the Vanderbilt School of Engineering in 1971 with a bachelor of engineering degree. Dyer began his career with Burdines, a division of Federated Department Stores, and held various merchandising and marketing posts during his 17 years there. He later served as president and chief operating officer of Home Shopping Network and was acting president of J. Crew catalog as a consultant for Texas Pacific Group from 1997 to 1998.

Dyer joined Lands End in 1989 and served as vice chairman and director from 1991 through 1994. As president and chief executive officer of Lands End from 1998 through 2002, Dyer helped establish the company as a global multichannel brand, building the largest apparel Internet business in the U.S. and delivering consecutive record sales and profit results in 2001 and 2002. He oversaw its sale to Sears Roebuck & Co. in 2002. In addition to his duties as president and CEO of Lands End, he served as executive vice president and general manager of Sears’ Customer Direct business and The Great Indoors home business.

He became president, chief executive officer and a director of Tommy Hilfiger Corp. in 2003. He is also a director for ADVO Inc., the nation’s largest target direct mail marketing company. Dyer is an advisor for Gryphon Investors as well.

On January 8, 2009, Dyer became Chico's FAS President and Chief Executive Officer. Dyer, who has served on the Company's Board of Directors since 2007, will remain a member of the Board.

Dyer and his wife, Harriet, are also longtime supporters of the School of Engineering, contributing to the Featheringill Hall building campaign and establishing the Dyer Family Scholarship for engineering students.

Degree: BE'81

Induction Year: 2014

Degree: BE'64

Induction Year: 2000

Degree: BE'68

Induction Year: 2009

Charles E. Fields Jr. (BE’68) began his career in the Houston production department of Humble Oil and Refining, which later became Exxon Mobil Corp.

Fields, a chemical engineer, retired from Exxon Mobil in 2006 after more than 38 years of service. He was a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers and lived in numerous locations including Texas, Louisiana, Florida, New Jersey and Australia.

As an alumnus, Fields has been a member of the Lewis Society, a supporter of Featheringill Hall, and in 2004, he and his wife established the Everett and Elizabeth Fields Memorial Scholarship in the School of Engineering in honor of his parents.

Degree: 
BE'65
Induction Year: 2020

Robert Finfrock is chairman of FINFROCK, a vertically-integrated, single-source design-build company. He also is a founder of FINFROCK Technologies, a developer of 3D modeling, communication, and electronic work instruction software for the precast/prestressed concrete industry. In 2020, Mr. Finfrock celebrates the 75th anniversary of FINFROCK as well as his 55th year with the company. 

By totally integrating real estate development, architecture, engineering, general contracting, structural assessments, maintenance, and precast concrete manufacturing within one firm, Mr. Finfrock created a company that is unique in the construction industry. This approach allows the company to deliver buildings as a product rather than a series of services. The principles he uses in his own business are the basis for a competitive business strategy book he co-authored, Beyond Price. 

Mr. Finfrock served as chairman of the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute and is a Fellow of both the American Concrete Institute and the Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute, which named him a “Titan” of the industry and one of its 50 most influential people of the past 50 years. He is an active participant, leader and speaker in many local, professional and industry organizations and a member of a variety of governing boards. He also served as chairman of the Orlando Science Center’s Board of Trustees. 

He earned a bachelor of engineering degree in civil engineering from Vanderbilt University and an MBA from Rollins College Crummer Graduate School of Business. Mr. Finfrock holds Professional Engineer and Certified General Contractor licenses in Florida. 

A Winter Park, Fla., native, his family includes his wife Ginny, BSN‘64, four children and nine grandchildren. The Finfrock legacy at Vanderbilt spans nearly 60 years including his granddaughter, who is expected to graduate next year with her degree in civil engineering.

Degree: BE'12, ME'15

Induction Year: 1975

Degree: BE'88

Induction Year: 2019

After graduating from Vanderbilt with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, Joseph earned a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from M.I.T. He spent six years working for Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, Michigan, in various areas of car product development, most notably in suspension and brake design and aerodynamics.

In 1996, he accepted a position at Schlumberger. Throughout his 20-year career there, he led the development of many projects including coiled tubing deployment systems (for both trucks and offshore skid units) as well as the first commercial electronic downhole coiled tubing tool for Schlumberger, the DepthLOG, which was the precursor to the successful ACTive system of downhole tools. He commercialized the first line of swellable packers developed in-house and managed teams of engineers sustaining worldwide equipment in pressure pumping systems and developing new sand control equipment solutions. He was awarded 10 patents during his Schlumberger career. In 2016, he earned early retirement from Schlumberger, and has been working in consulting and project management for Applied Automation and Controls, a supplier to the oil and gas industry.

Joseph lives in Houston with his wife Lori, BA’88. They have four children, Noah, 22, Davis, 19, Ella, 15, and James, 13. His family has been a tremendous source of inspiration and support throughout his career, and one of the great benefits of early retirement has been to spend more time with them. He credits Vanderbilt and the School of Engineering with providing him with a unique blend of technical skill and management capability that have made his professional achievements possible. Flowers has professed his gratitude for the school by being a strong philanthropic supporter. He has also enjoyed the opportunity to remain in touch with the school through various advisory committees and, currently, the Board of Visitors.

Degree: BE'79

Induction Year: 2023

Vice Admiral (Ret.) William French graduated from Vanderbilt University’s School of Engineering in 1979 and was commissioned through the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps program. Before retiring from the Navy in 2014, French served as an officer and commander on numerous submarines, including as commander of Submarine Squadron Three at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. His final assignment was leading Navy Installations Command, where he was responsible for the Navy’s 72 bases with oversight of all shore support operations worldwide. French earned a Master of Science from Naval Postgraduate School and a Master of Arts from the Naval War College. Following his Navy retirement, he served as the President and CEO of the Armed Services YMCA. He also serves as a member of the National Advisory Committee for the Military Child Education Coalition and is a member of the Vanderbilt University NROTC Alumni Board.

Degree: 
BS'93
Induction Year: 2021

Frist graduated from Vanderbilt University in 1993 with a bachelor’s degree in computer science.

Jennifer Frist serves on the board of the Frist Foundation, one of the largest Tennessee family foundations that focuses on philanthropic giving in middle Tennessee. She and her husband, William R. “Billy” Frist, have investments in various startup companies as well as established businesses in the healthcare, IT, hospitality and real estate among others.

Frist has been involved for many years in various Nashville non-profits. She is a past chairman of the Board of Directors of the Nashville Zoo and has served on the Zoo board and/or the Zoo’s advisory board for the past 20 years. She also has held past board positions at Nashville Public Television, Tri-Star Centennial Medical Center, Nashville Public Education Foundation, and the Nashville Humane Association of Nashville.

Frist is a trustee of The Ensworth School in Nashville and serves as vice president of the board. She actively involved in the Frist Art Museum and serves on the Frist Art Museum Gala Executive Committee.

The Frists reside in Nashville and have three children.

Degree: 
BE'74
Induction Year: 2011

John D. Gass is a vice president of Chevron Corporation and president of Chevron Gas and Midstream, responsible for the company's global natural gas business. He also oversees Chevron's shipping, pipeline and power operations.

Gass graduated from the Vanderbilt School of Engineering magna cum laude with a degree in civil engineering in 1974. In 1980, he earned a master's degree in civil engineering from Tulane University. After graduating from Vanderbilt, Gass joined Chevron in New Orleans designing offshore platforms for use in the Gulf of Mexico. During his 37 years with Chevron, Gass has held a wide variety of positions of increasing responsibility in engineering, operations and management. He has lived and worked in the United States, Indonesia, the United Kingdom, Australia and Angola. In 2003, he was named to his current position and moved to Chevron's headquarters in San Ramon, Calif.

Gass grew up in Miami, Fla., where he met his high school sweetheart and future wife, Jane Ann. His family also has deep roots in Nashville. His parents, Dr. J. Donald M. Gass (BA'50, MD'57) and Margy Ann Loser Gass, both were raised there. His father was a world-renowned ophthalmologist and received the Distinguished Alumnus award from the School of Medicine in 2004. He served as professor of opthalmology, emeritus, at the Vanderbilt Eye Institute before his passing in 2005.

Gass is a member of the American Society of Engineers and the Society of Petroleum Engineers. He remains actively involved with Vanderbilt and serves on the Committee of Visitors for the School of Engineering and the Vanderbilt Eye Institute Advisory Board. He is also a member of the Fred J. Lewis Society and the Canby Robinson Society.

Gass and his wife, Jane Ann, live in Danville, Calif. They have two daughters: Elizabeth Gass Seigler, who lives in London with her husband, Morgan, and Johanna Gass of San Ramon, Calif.

Degree: 
BE'55
Induction Year: 1983

Degree: 
BE'57
Induction Year: 2002

L. Hall Hardaway Jr. graduated from the Vanderbilt School of Engineering in 1957 with a degree in civil engineering.

Upon graduation Hardaway began working in his father’s firm, Hardaway Construction. His father, L. Hall Hardaway Sr., started the company in 1924. In 1959 the commercial and residential construction sectors were split into Hardaway Construction Co. and Cumberland Builders Inc. By 1986 Hardaway had led the company into a new era as it grew to the Hardaway Group, with more than 1,000 employees. Affiliated companies include Cumberland Builders Inc. and Hardaway Realty Inc. In the family tradition, Hardaway’s children have all become involved with the business.

Hardaway became a member of the Vanderbilt Board of Trust in 1990. He has also served as president of the Nashville Vanderbilt Club. He was a steering committee member during the Campaign for Vanderbilt and is a Shape the Future campaign committee member for the School of Engineering.

Hardaway’s willingness to serve and to lead goes well beyond Vanderbilt. He has been president and director of the Nashville chapter of Associated General Contractors and director of numerous construction organizations, including the Construction Specification Institute, Nashville Contractor’s Association and the Tennessee Associated Builders and Contractors. He has also served on the boards of Sovran Bank, Dominion Bank of Middle Tennessee, Nashville City Bank, and Citizens Bank of Hendersonville. Hardaway is also a past member of the Board of Governors of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce. Other affiliations include Davidson Academy, First Baptist Church of Hendersonville, and Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee Inc.

The Hardaway Group supports many groups and projects in Nashville including the Jere Baxter Middle School, the Dollar General Store and Learning Center in the Sam Levy neighborhood and Habitat for Humanity.

Hardaway and his wife, Linda, have three children and five grandchildren.

Degree: 
BE'43
Induction Year: 1982

Degree: 
BE'73
Induction Year: 2013

Steve M. Hays, PE, CIH, FACEC, FAIHA, is partner and chairman of the Board of Gobbell Hays Partners Inc. (GHP), where he is the driving force behind the company's leadership in dealing with hazards in the built environment.

Hays was appointed by President Bill Clinton to the Board of Directors for the National Institute of Building Sciences, where he served for 17 years. Recently, he accepted the 2012 Mortimer M. Marshall Lifetime Achievement Award from the Institute. Hays has co-authored two books and numerous features in trade and professional publications on various environmental issues.

Hays graduated from Vanderbilt University in 1973 with a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering. He became a Tennessee-registered professional engineer in 1978 and is also registered in eight other states and Ireland. In 1999, he was inducted into the College of Fellows of the American Council of Engineering Companies, and in 2010, inducted into the College of Fellows of the American Industrial Hygienists Association.

Degree: BE'37
Induction Year: 1978

Degree: BE'97

Induction Year: 2023

Bob Higgins graduated from Vanderbilt’s School of Engineering in 1997 and currently serves as president and CEO of Barge Design Solutions, where he launched his career. In his leadership role, Higgins has led the firm through a successful re-organization into core business units and has directed the development and implementation of key technical, project management, and leadership programs. Higgins currently services as vice chair of the School of Engineering’s Board of Visitors. He recently helped establish a civil engineering scholarship that is funded through Barge by matching employee contributions, which will lead to two $100,000 endowments. Higgins serves on the board for the Nashville Downtown Partnership is chair of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, he is a member of both the National and Tennessee Society of Professional Engineers (TSPE) and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).

Degree: BE'78

Induction Year: 2019

SaraAnne (Sally) Baker Hopkins received her undergraduate degree in chemical engineering from Vanderbilt University and her Master of Business Administration from Tulane University. She joined Shell in August 1978 where she quickly became a pioneer for women. She was the first female engineer hired at a petrochemical manufacturing site in southern Louisiana and the first female operations manager at the same complex.

Sally had a diverse career at Shell. In 1998, she was appointed vice president, Shell Services International—Global Chemical Accounts. In 2001, she became vice president U.S. Corporate Affairs with responsibilities for health, safety, environmental, sustainable development and external affairs. She was also the vice president of the Shell Oil Foundation and chaired the Shell Oil United Way campaign in 2004. From the beginning of her professional career, one of her personal passions was to create a more inclusive work environment for her colleagues and those that followed her, than she experienced. In 2012, after a 34-year career at Shell, Sally retired as a general manager in global manufacturing.

Sally is active in her community as a volunteer and board member of multiple service organizations. She is an active Rotarian and serves on the advisory board for the Tulane Energy Institute at the AB Freeman School of Business and the Board of Visitors for the Vanderbilt University School of Engineering. She has professed her gratitude for the school by being a strong philanthropic supporter.

Born at Eglin Air Force Base, Sally grew up on the beaches of the west coast of Florida. She and Dave currently reside in Houston and enjoy doing mission work, international travel, ballroom dancing and time on the Florida beaches.

Degree: BE'64

Induction Year: 2004

Gerry G. Hull graduated from the School of Engineering in 1964 with a bachelor of engineering degree. He earned an MBA from Emory University in 1966.

Upon graduation Hull began working at ATL Machine Corp. where he was president for nearly 15 years. He is currently the president/CEO of Automated Logic Corp. based in Kennesaw, Ga. The company develops and manufactures electronic hardware and software control systems for buildings. In 2001 he was named Ernst & Young Southeast's Entrepreneur of the Year in the Technology-Software Division and was also named CEO of the Year in 2002 by Frost and Sullivan.

Hull's service to and support of Vanderbilt are exemplified by his memberships in the Shape the Future national committee and the School of Engineering committee of visitors. He also served the university as an Atlanta campaign committee member in 1990. He is a longtime supporter of the School of Engineering and his philanthropy made possible the building of the Jacobs Believed in Me auditorium in Featheringill Hall.

Hull's willingness to lead and assist others goes outside of the Vanderbilt circle as well. He has served as chairman of Atlanta’s GKW Foundation, vice chairman of the Atlanta International School, and was a founding member and board member of BACnet Manufacturers Association. In the past, Hull also served as trustee of Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School, director of victory ceremonies of the 1996 Summer Olympics, chairman of Goodwill Industries, trustee of Westminster Schools, director of both Atlanta Landmarks and the Piedmont Driving Club, and president of both The Nine O'clocks and The Roundtable.

Hull and his wife, Patricia, have three children.

Degree: BE'63, PhD'72

Induction Year: 2006

Jim Johnson graduated from the Vanderbilt School of Engineering in 1963. He also earned a master of science degree in civil engineering from the University of Illinois in 1965 and a doctoral degree in civil engineering from Vanderbilt in 1972. He is a registered professional engineer in Texas, Arizona and Florida.

Johnson served in the U. S. Army in Panama, Paraguay, Ecuador, Bolivia and Vietnam. For his Army service, he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Air Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Presidential Unit Citation and Vietnamese Gallantry Cross Unit Citation.

Johnson started his professional engineering career with Turner Collie & Braden in Houston in 1970. His project experience included the planning and design of airports and aviation facilities, highways and bridges and community development in the United States, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. In 1989, Jim moved to Brown and Root (now Kellogg Brown & Root) where he has helped develop the firm’s civil engineering business. He is currently the director of program management for KBR’s government and infrastructure unit.

Johnson has served the School of Engineering in a number of areas including the Engineering Alumni Council, the Committee of Visitors, and the External Advisory Committee of the department of civil and environmental engineering. Johnson represents the school on the board of directors of the Alumni Association.

Johnson has also served on the board of advisors of the College of Science and Technology of Texas Southern University and the board of directors of the United States Field Hockey Association. He was junior warden at St. Francis Episcopal Church and president of the board of trustees of St. Francis Episcopal Day School.

Jim is a native of Huntsville, Ala. He is married to the former Karen Wallace of Wichita, Kan., and they have three children and two grandchildren.

Degree: 
BS '84
Induction Year: 2020

Jim Johnson is founding partner of Summit Park and has over 25 years of principal investing and investment banking experience. 

Prior to founding Summit Park in 2006, Mr. Johnson was a partner at Windward Capital Partners, a New York-based middle market private equity firm where he was employed since the firm’s inception in 1995. Prior to joining Windward, Mr. Johnson was in the media investment banking group at CS First Boston. Previously, Mr. Johnson worked at BellSouth Corporation, first as a systems analyst and later in national account sales.

Mr. Johnson currently serves on the Board of Directors of Parkline, Tennessee Industrial Electronics, C.A.R.S. Protection Plus, smarTours, Fast Growing Trees, Freedom Electronics, Exacta and Aspirent. Previously, he served as a board member of Arkive, Control Company and NSi Holdings; chairman of Charter Brokerage Holdings; and director of Adplex-Rhodes, eMag Solutions, L. Powell Company, Pressure Systems, Retriever Payment Systems, Sentry Security Systems, and Tycomn Corporation.

Mr. Johnson received his bachelor of science degree in biomedical engineering and mathematics from Vanderbilt University and received his MBA with honors from the Columbia Business School. 

A native of Nashville, Tenn., he now resides in New York City with his wife Leslie. The Johnsons have two children, Josephine and Colin, BS’19, who earned his degree in human and organizational development from Peabody College.

Degree: BE'68

Induction Year: 2007

Degree: 
BS'88
Induction Year: 2018

David Limp has worked at Amazon since March 2010 and is currently senior vice president of Amazon Devices & Services. He has overall responsibility for development, retail sales and operational aspects of Amazon devices and the services behind them, including Alexa, Echo, Kindle, Fire TV, Fire tablets, Amazon Appstore, Dash buttons, and the Dash Replenishment Service.

Prior to Amazon, Limp served as venture partner of Azure Capital Partners for four years. Prior to that, he was chief strategy officer of Palm where he was responsible for corporate development, business development and applications. From July 1997 to August 2002, he served as executive vice president and chief strategy officer of Liberate Technologies. Limp started his career at Apple Computer and held various positions from 1987 to 1996, the last of which was director of the North and South American PowerBook division.

Limp earned his bachelor of science degree in computer science and mathematics from Vanderbilt University in 1988, and a master of management degree from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business.

Degree: BS'74, MS'78, PhD'80

Induction Year: 2021

Linn graduated with a BE in systems and information science (SIS). Notably, the SIS graduating class of May 1974, the origin of the Computer Science Department, consisted of only seven individuals, four of whom were women. She continued her Vanderbilt education with a master’s degree and a doctorate in computer science.

After teaching stints at SMU and the University of Southwestern Louisiana, the Linns moved to Washington, D.C. to work for The Institute of Defense Analysis. There, she supported the Department of Defense in the evaluation and funding of military projects involving computer science. In 1990, the couple moved to Redmond, Washington, to work at Microsoft.

The Linns split their time between Sammamish, Washington, and Kihei, Hawaii. She and her husband, a guitarist and vocalist, currently play in bands in both Sammamish and Maui. They have two children and three grandchildren.

Degree: 
BE'76
Induction Year: 2015

Degree: 
BE'33, ME'45
Induction Year: 1969

Degree: 
BE'54
Induction Year: 1987

Degree: BE'51

Induction Year: 2007

Sam McCleskey, of Memphis, Tenn., graduated from the Vanderbilt School of Engineering 1951 with a degree in civil engineering. The Naval ROTC program at Vanderbilt began the year he entered college, and paid for his education.

Within two days of graduating, Sam received his Navy commission. In 1954 he was honorably discharged after serving three years on two different ships. He returned to Memphis, where he worked as an independent surveyor for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In 1956 he became a construction engineer with Gulf Oil Co. in Louisiana. Two years later he was hired as vice president of construction for the J.C. Milne Co., a Portland, Ore.-based company seeking to expand its business into New Orleans. There he learned the business of mausoleum construction.

In 1961 he started the McCleskey Construction Co., with special strength in designing and building mausoleums. At the same time he opened an architectural engineering division, McF Architects, and in 1963 he moved his company’s home office to Atlanta.

McCleskey was active in the funeral industry in Atlanta and on a national level. He was one of only six people inducted into the Suppliers Hall of Fame for the cemetery and funeral industry. He has served on the boards of directors of the Georgia Cemetery Association, the Southern Cemetery Association and the National Association of Cemeteries. 

McCleskey created the McCleskey Honor Scholarship in 1998 to help engineering students who exhibit well-rounded characteristics and interests. He has also served as a member of the School of Engineering campaign committee and was chair of the Class of ’51 Reunion in 2001. He is a longtime member of the Lewis Society.

Sam and his wife, Arden, live in Destin, Fla. He still serves as chairman of his companies and recently finished his term as president of the Gulf Pines Board of Directors. He and Arden have three children, seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Degree: BE'69

Induction Year: 2022

Morris H. Morgan, III, a native of Cedartown,Georgia, graduated from Vanderbilt at age 19. In 1978 he was the second African American to receive his Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. After a successful research stint at General Electric, he returned to RPI and became the engineering school’s first tenured African American professor. In 2003 he delivered RPI’s Garnet D. Baltimore Lecture in recognition of his impact on engineering education.

Morris began his tenure at Hampton University in 1996 as a professor and Massey Chair of Environmental Engineering. He served for six years as the second dean of the HU School of Engineering and Technology. He secured funding for a NASA-funded Aero-Propulsion Center and a Virtual Parts Manufacturing Center and initiated the computer engineering degree program. Upon returning to the faculty in 2004, he continued his research in designing hypersonic vehicle body structures, modeling boron nitride nanomaterial reactors and designing industrial spouted bed systems, a field in which he and the late Howard Littman garnered world-class prominence. In 2008 he was a Virginia Outstanding Scientist Award Candidate for his research contributions to fluid-particle systems.

Morris received Vanderbilt’s Legacy Award in 2015 as a pioneering African American degree recipient. He published 96 research papers and six book chapters, held four patents, and produced 12 STEM master’s and Ph.D. students.

In reverence to his parents, Morris always championed efforts at HU, RPI, Vanderbilt and beyond to encourage students to pursue advanced degrees. Two of his many success stories are his daughter, Kristin, who earned a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering, and his son, Eric, who earned his MBA.

Degree: BE'63

Induction Year: 2010

Hibbett Neel grew up in Rutherford County, Tenn., and was the third generation of his family to attend Vanderbilt. After receiving his undergraduate degree in civil engineering in 1963, Neel earned a master’s degree at the Georgia Institute of Technology and served as an officer in the U.S. Army. In 1983, he founded Neel-Schaffer Inc., a multidisciplined engineering firm headquartered in Jackson, Miss., with more than 400 employees and offices throughout the Southeast and Texas.

Neel has been an active member of the Institute of Transportation Engineers for more than four decades. His numerous awards from this organization include the Herman J. Hoose Distinguished Service Award and the ITE Outstanding Service Award in 2000. He was recognized by the American Public Works Association as Mississippi Member of the Year in 2000 and in 2004 by the American Society of Civil Engineers, receiving the Diversity Champions Award for his work fostering diversity within the industry. In 2007, Hibbett received the American Council of Engineering Companies Community Service Award. In 2009, the National American Public Works Association recognized him with a lifetime achievement award.

He has also authored numerous industry articles, including “Striving for Ethics in Transportation Engineering” and “Ethics and the Transportation Consultant.”

He follows the philosophy of Sir Winston Churchill who said, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” In 1992, Neel created scholarships for disadvantaged minorities at various universities and began a mentoring program for upcoming minority firms at Neel-Schaffer, subcontracting work to these firms when possible.   

Neel’s community involvement includes the Mississippi Economic Council, Mississippi Blood Services, Catholic Charities, Greater Jackson Foundation, Metro Jackson Chamber of Commerce, Keep Jackson Beautiful, Leadership Jackson and Jackson 2000. He has committed both time and resources to Vanderbilt’s School of Engineering as an active six-year member of Vanderbilt’s Engineering Alumni Council and the Lewis Society.

Neel and his wife, Susan, live in Jackson Miss. Their six children and grandchildren live nearby.

Degree: BE'56

Induction Year: 2008

Don (BE’56) has distinguished himself as a leader ever since he arrived on campus.  He played quarterback for the football team, leading the team to victory in the 1955 Gator Bowl and earning MVP distinction.  After Vanderbilt, he worked as an NFL official for 25 years and became president, then chairman, of the successful Nashville Machine Company.  He has dutifully served Vanderbilt over the years on fundraising committees for reunion, VUSE campaigns, and athletics projects.

Degree: BE'65

Induction Year: 2013

Knowles Arthur "Art" Overholser serves as senior associate dean of the School of Engineering. He is a 1965 chemical engineering graduate and earned his doctorate in chemical engineering at the University of Wisconsin and a post-doctoral appointment at Imperial College in London.

Overholser joined Vanderbilt in 1971 as an assistant professor. During his career, he served as a visiting scientist at the University of California at San Francisco. He then joined Vanderbilt's Department of Biomedical Engineering, where he pursued research in quantitative cardiovascular physiology. He has been with the Engineering Dean's Office since 1999, where he has administrative responsibility for the undergraduate educational functions of the school.

Overholser is a celebrated member of the engineering community, having received numerous awards and recognitions at the university and national levels. At Vanderbilt, he received the Ellen Gregg Ingalls Award for Classroom Teaching and the Thomas Jefferson Award for Distinguished Service. At the national and state levels, he is a leader in a number of professional organizations and is dedicated to engineering education.

Degree: BE'51

Induction Year: 2008

Degree: BE'50

Induction Year: 1985

Degree: BE'36, MS'37

Induction Year: 1979

Degree: BE'70

Induction Year: 2014

Degree: BE'86

Induction Year: 2015

Degree: BE'66

Induction Year: 1995

Degree: BA'77, MS'79

Induction Year: 2022

Jeffrey J. Rothschild has had a 40-year career as an entrepreneur, engineer and technology investor. He earned his undergraduate degree in psychology in 1977, then changed direction and earned his master’s degree in computer science in 1979.

After leaving Vanderbilt, Jeff worked briefly at Honeywell and Intel before launching his career as an entrepreneur. His first projects weren’t necessarily successful, but they were all invaluable learning experiences. Jeff has co-founded two public companies: the storage software company Veritas Software, which reached nearly $2 billion in yearly revenue in the 1990s, and the online gaming company Mpath Interactive. Jeff joined Facebook as vice president of infrastructure engineering in 2005 and spent 10 years focused on the scalability and performance of the site.

Since leaving Facebook in 2015, Jeff has been working as an investor and mentor to entrepreneurs and is on the board of Pure Storage and Scuba Analytics. Jeff also serves as vice chairman of the Vanderbilt Board of Trust and is a member of the board of Stanford Health Care. Jeff’s philanthropic and impact investment areas include medical research, scholarships for disadvantaged students, open space preservation, a shoe company in Guatemala, and an ophthalmologic hospital and a dairy cooperative in Kenya.

Degree: 
BE'55
Induction Year: 2008

Degree: 
BE'74
Induction Year: 2019

Richard A. Schroeder is president and CEO of Cresline Plastic Pipe Co., Inc., a privately-held company headquartered in Evansville, Indiana. Cresline is the oldest plastic pipe company in the United States and is recognized as a pioneer in its industry. During his tenure as president, the enterprise has grown to operate six production plants and market products throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

At Vanderbilt, Richard earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and was a member of Phi Kappa Sigma social fraternity and Pi Tau Sigma honorary society. Upon graduation, he attended the Graduate School of Business at Indiana University where he received an MBA in finance and marketing. While attending Vanderbilt and Indiana, he enjoyed teaching undergraduate courses in computer science. At Indiana, Richard met his future wife, Patrice. The couple relocated to Houston and he began his career at Exxon Corp. There, he held positions of increasing responsibility in corporate planning and field operations. He left Exxon in 1982 to return to the family business and was subsequently named president and CEO.

Richard has served on Vanderbilt School of Engineering boards since 2001. He and Patrice served as members of the Parents and Family Association while their son, David (BS’12), attended Vanderbilt. Over the years, his philanthropy to the school has been generous and enthusiastic.

He is involved in his industry through service and past presidencies of numerous industry organizations. He serves on the boards of local industrial development groups and the University of Evansville Schroeder School Of Business where he and Patrice hold honorary degrees.

In his free time Richard enjoys golf, travel and the beach at Siesta Key, Florida.

Degree: BE'50

Induction Year: 1996

Degree: BE'54

Induction Year: 1991

Degree: BE'51

Induction Year: 1992

Degree: 
BE'61, PhD'66
Induction Year: 2007

Edward L. Thackston, a native of Lebanon, Tenn., received his bachelor of engineering degree in civil engineering from Vanderbilt University in 1961, and earned the Founder’s Medal for top honors. Thackston worked for Lebanon as city engineer and for the city of Nashville as a design engineer. He later received a master of science degree from the University of Illinois in 1963 and a doctoral degree from Vanderbilt in environmental and water resources engineering in 1966.

Thackston taught water and waste treatment, water supply, wastewater collection, water quality management, and environmental law at Vanderbilt from 1965 to 2000, except for 1972–1973 when he was on leave to serve as staff assistant for environmental affairs to Tennessee Gov. Winfield Dunn. In 1974 he was named Conservationist of the Year by the Tennessee Conservation League—the Tennessee affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation—for his work in promoting good environmental policy within the Tennessee state government.

From 1980 through 1999, Thackston was chairman of the department of civil and environmental engineering at Vanderbilt, during which time the faculty expanded from 10 to 15. He directed almost $1.5 million in sponsored research activity and has been the author or co-author of more than 120 technical publications. Thackston retired from Vanderbilt in 2000, was active in several research projects until 2005, and remains active in private consulting.

Thackston was active in the Tennessee Conservation League and was on the board of directors from 1974 through 2003. He won the League’s Career Achievement Award in 1983 and the Lifetime Conservation Achievement Award from the state of Tennessee in 1997. Thackston also served on the Tennessee Water Quality Control Board and as chairman of the Metro Nashville Wastewater Hearing Authority.

He was named Engineer of the Year in 2001 by the Nashville chapter of the Tennessee Society of Professional Engineers. Also in 2001, he received the Outstanding Paper Award from the Association of Environmental Engineers and Scientists. In 2004, the Kentucky-Tennessee Water Environment Association presented him its Leary Jones Award and named him to its Hall of Fame.

In 1990 Thackston was named a Distinguished Graduate by Lebanon High School. In 1995, he was elected to the board of trust of Cumberland University and in 2007 he was elected chairman of the board.

Thackston is married to the former Betty Tucker of Shelbyville. They have two daughters and six grandchildren.

Degree: 
BE'98
Induction Year: 2022

Corey E. Thomas is the CEO of Rapid7, as well as the chairman of its board of directors. Corey earned a bachelor’s in electrical engineering and computer science from Vanderbilt and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

In 2018, Corey was elected to the Cyber Threat Alliance board of directors and the Massachusetts Cybersecurity Strategy Council. He joined the Massachusetts Competitive Partnership as a director in 2020. In 2021 he became a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and was appointed as a director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. He also serves on the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts board of directors, LPL Financials’ board of directors, and the Vanderbilt University Board of Trust. He previously served on the U.S. Commerce Department’s Digital Economy Board of Advisors.

Corey has extensive experience leading technology companies to the next stage of growth and innovation. Before joining Rapid7, he was vice president of marketing at Parallels Inc., a virtualization technology company; group project manager of the Microsoft Server and Tools division, steering product planning for Microsoft’s data platform; and a consultant at Deloitte Consulting.

Degree: BE'55

Induction Year: 1993

Degree: 
BE'70
Induction Year: 2016

Professor Perry E. Wallace received his undergraduate degree in electrical engineering and engineering mathematics from the Vanderbilt University School of Engineering. He received his law degree from Columbia University, where he was awarded a Charles Evans Hughes Fellowship. Professor Wallace also pursued graduate business studies at Columbia University, American University and George Washington University.

Professor Wallace was for several years a senior trial attorney at the United States Department of Justice, handling cases involving environmental, energy and natural resources law. He has served as a securities arbitrator and as a commercial arbitrator. He is a member of the Advisory Council of the Institute for Transnational Arbitration. Professor Wallace was also appointed to, and served, a three-year term on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology. He is a tenured professor of law at the Washington College of Law of the American University, where he teaches corporate, environmental and international law and serves as the director of the JD/MBA Dual Degree Program.

Professor Wallace has received numerous honors for his contribution as the first African American varsity basketball player in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), including: team captain; All-SEC second team; SEC Sportsmanship Award; Bachelor of Ugliness (most popular male student); induction into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame; induction into the Vanderbilt Athletics Hall of Fame; retirement of basketball jersey by Vanderbilt; named a “Legend” by the SEC; named a member of the Silver Anniversary All-America team by the National Association of Basketball Coaches.

Degree: BE'76

Induction Year: 2011

Thomas R. Walters began his career in 1978 with Exxon in California. Following several assignments associated primarily with new developments in Alaska and offshore California, he transferred to New Orleans as operations technical manager for operations east of the Mississippi River. In 1989, he was named engineering manager for offshore Gulf of Mexico activities.

In 1991, Walters transferred to Houston as business development manager, U.S. natural gas marketing. He joined Exxon Exploration Co. in 1992 and later Exxon Ventures Inc. where he was responsible for progressing venture opportunities in the former Soviet Union.

In 1996, Walters was assigned to Exxon Corp., headquartered in Irving, Texas, as production advisor to the senior vice president of the upstream business. He returned to Houston and was named project executive for Brazil in 1998 in the newly formed Exxon Upstream Development Co. In 2000, he became a vice president, ExxonMobil Development Co. with responsibility for projects in continental Africa. Following these international responsibilities, Walters assumed the position of vice president for the U.S.A. of ExxonMobil Production Co. in 2002.

Walters was named president of ExxonMobil Global Services Co. in 2005, responsible for global information technology, procurement and real estate. In 2007, Walters was appointed executive vice president of ExxonMobil Development Co.

Walters was named president of ExxonMobil Gas and Power Marketing Co. and elected a vice president of Exxon Mobil Corp. in 2009.

Walters serves on the board of the Houston Zoo. He is a member of the Committee of Visitors for Vanderbilt University's School of Engineering and the Fred. J. Lewis Society.

Walters is a native of Hammond, Ind., and received a bachelor's in mechanical engineering from Vanderbilt University and a master's in ocean engineering from Texas A&M University. He and his wife, Hollis, reside in Houston. They have two sons, Matthew and Jacob.

Degree: 
BE'80
Induction Year: 2019

Cynthia (CJ) Warner is the president and CEO of Renewable Energy Group Inc., a leading provider of cleaner, lower carbon intensity products and services. Operating internationally, REG is North America’s largest producer of advanced biofuels, utilizing an integrated procurement, distribution and logistics network to convert natural fats, oils, greases and sugars into lower carbon intensity products. She joined the company in 2019, bringing nearly 40 years of experience in energy, oil refining and marketing, renewable fuels commercialization and related technology development.

Prior to REG, CJ served as executive vice president, operations for Andeavor (formerly Tesoro) where she oversaw Andeavor’s 10-refinery, 1.2 million barrels/day production system; extensive logistics system; and environment, health, safety and security groups. During her four-year tenure at Andeavor, the company grew from a market capitalization of less than $10 billion to over $23 billion.

Prior to Andeavor, CJ held executive leadership roles at several global energy companies including Sapphire Energy, British Petroleum, UOP and Amoco. She is a featured leader in the 2008 book Becoming a Resonant Leader: Develop Your Emotional Intelligence (Harvard Business Press) and was named one of Fast Company’s 100 most creative people in business in 2010.

In addition to REG, CJ serves as a member of the Board of Directors for IDEX Corporation. She is a member of the National Petroleum Council and the Board of Visitors of the Vanderbilt University School of Engineering. CJ is also a noteworthy philanthropic supporter of Vanderbilt.

CJ earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Vanderbilt University and an MBA from Illinois Institute of Technology.

Degree: BE'48

Induction Year: 1990

Degree: BE'52

Induction Year: 2010

Wauford transferred to Vanderbilt University and earned his bachelor of engineering degree, cum laude, in the spring of 1952. While attending Vanderbilt, the Wilson County Court appointed Wauford to the county surveyor’s post which resulted in his becoming one of the few civil engineers to graduate without attending Dean Lewis’s surveying camp.

In 1952 Wauford began his career with D.A. Duplantier, Consulting Engineer, as a junior designer. In 1953, he joined the Tennessee Highway Department as a soils and research engineer tasked with overseeing the department’s soil testing laboratory.  In those days before strict regulations, Wauford was allowed to take the P.E. exam and received his P.E. license two years after graduating. In September 1956, Wauford left the State and formed J. R. Wauford & Co. Engineers.

J.R. Wauford & Co., Consulting Engineers Inc. specializes in environmental engineering and provides services related to all phases of water and wastewater projects to clients in Tennessee and Kentucky. The company is considered among the top water supply and wastewater consulting firms in the Southeast, having engineered projects in Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi as well as in Ohio, Michigan and Mexico.

Wauford is a member of Tennessee Society of Professional Engineers and served as president of the society’s Consulting Engineering Council in 1972. He is also a member of the Water Environment Federation and the American Water Works Association.

Wauford and his wife of 58 years, Lois Ann, live in Lebanon, Tenn. They have four children, six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Degree: BE'80

Induction Year: 2017

Chris Wiernicki is chairman, president and CEO of ABS and chairman of the ABS Group of Companies Inc. He previously served as chairman of the International Association of Classification Societies and held senior roles at ABS, including president and chief operating officer (COO), chief technology officer and president and COO of ABS Europe Ltd.

Wiernicki holds a bachelor of engineering in civil engineering from Vanderbilt and is a member of the Vanderbilt University School of Engineering Academy of Distinguished Alumni. He also earned a master of science in structural engineering from George Washington University, where he was later elected to the George Washington University Engineering Hall of Fame. He also holds a master of science in ocean engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT); and completed Harvard University’s Advanced Management Program.

Wiernicki is a Fellow with the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers. He was awarded the Vice Admiral Emory S. Land Medal in 2013 for outstanding accomplishment in the marine field, the United Seaman’s Service Admiral of the Ocean Seas Award in 2016 for outstanding contributions to the maritime industry, is a member of the International Maritime Hall of Fame Class of 2016, and was awarded honorary doctor of science degrees from Maine Maritime Academy and SUNY Maritime College. Wiernicki lectures at the university level on topics ranging from leadership to technology, serves on the Board of Trustees for the Seamen’s Church Institute as well as numerous university boards and advisory councils.

Degree: 
BE'86
Induction Year: 2018

Born in Mansfield, Ohio, Jack Williams graduated from Vanderbilt University in 1986 with a bachelor of engineering degree in electrical engineering. He joined Exxon in April 1987 as a drilling engineer in New Orleans.

After his initial assignment in the drilling organization, Williams held various technical, supervisory and planning positions, including two years in the U.S. upstream planning organization. In 1997, Williams began a series of operations management assignments, including operations superintendent for the company's East Texas field areas and operations manager for the company’s Gulf Coast and offshore California properties.

Williams was then transferred to Anchorage, Alaska, to oversee the company’s North Slope and Cook Inlet interests. Following this assignment, he moved to Malaysia to serve as the deputy production manager for the company’s South China Sea operations.

In 2005, Williams moved to Dallas where he served as an upstream advisor for ExxonMobil Corporation. Two years later, Williams became the vice president of engineering for ExxonMobil Production Company. Following this work in production, he became the vice president responsible for Asia projects in ExxonMobil Development Company.

In 2010, Williams was named president of XTO Energy Inc. He held this position for three years before returning to the ExxonMobil Production Company as executive vice president.

In June 2014, Williams was elected senior vice president of ExxonMobil Corporation.

Williams is a member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers and a member of the Board of Visitors for the Vanderbilt School of Engineering.

Degree: BE'58

Induction Year: 1988

Degree: BE'57

Induction Year: 1994

Degree: BE'52

Induction Year: 1986