College of Engineering Announces Alumni Awards

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Jack King, the 2013 College of Engineering Hall of Fame inductee.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Arkansas College of Engineering will honor 11 alumni with College of Engineering Alumni Awards at its annual banquet on Saturday, April 13. The awards recognize graduates of the college who have demonstrated exceptional professional and personal accomplishments and made important contributions to their professions and communities.

The College of Engineering’s 2013 Alumni Awards banquet will be at the Fayetteville Town Center.

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

Jack King of Lampe, Mo., received a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering in 1962 and a master’s degree in electrical engineering in 1963. King will be awarded the Hall of Fame medal, the highest honor bestowed by the College of Engineering. The College of Engineering Hall of Fame was established in 1965 to recognize prominent graduates and leaders who have made outstanding contributions to the engineering profession and to society as a whole. During his career, King rose through the ranks at Entergy Corp. to become senior vice-president. After retiring from Entergy, King was asked to serve as president and chief executive officer of Oglethorpe Power Corp. in Atlanta, Ga. In the eighties and nineties, King served on the university’s National Development Council, and played an important role in raising funds to equip the Bell Engineering Center on campus.

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

• Bill Brown, B.S.E.E. 1969 – Distinguished Professor emeritus, University of Arkansas
• Kent Burnett, B.S.I.E. 1968 – Senior vice president, Dillard’s Inc., Little Rock
• Dennis Gardisser, B.S.A.E. 1979; M.S.A.E. 1981, Ph.D. 1992 – President, WRK of Arkansas, Lonoke
• Jeff Koenig, B.S.E.E. 1974 – President and CEO (retired), Upchurch Electrical Supply, Fayetteville
• C. Larry Weir, B.S.C.E. 1967, M.S.C.E. 1971 – Senior consultant, Hawkins-Weir Engineers Inc., Van Buren
• Chris Weiser, B.S.M.E. 1973 – Owner and president, JV Manufacturing, Springdale

The Outstanding Young Alumni Award recognizes exceptional professional and personal achievements of College of Engineering graduates who are 40 years of age and under. The 2012 recipients are:

• Dustin Beebe, B.S.Ch.E.1996 – President and chief executive officer, ProSys, Baton Rouge, La.
• Bryan Billingsley, B.S.I.E. 1997 – President, HEBCO Inc., Springdale
• Ben Hood, B.S.C.E.; B.S. 2002 – Chief technology officer, GridPotential, Washington, D.C.
• Gaven Smith, B.S.C.E. 2000 – Director of information services, J.B. Hunt