Association names national alumnus of the year, other awards
The Alumni Association recently announced the recipients of the 2013 National Alumnus of the Year and College Alumni of the Year. The recipients were selected from a pool of very qualified nominations and will be recognized at the Alumni Association’s annual awards banquet on Feb. 1, 2013.
George Thomas “Tommy” Everett III was named National Alumnus of the year. Everett, of Magee, is a 1950 business administration graduate. A faithful volunteer, he served as the national board president in 1973 and as treasurer from 1979 until 1992. Everett is a dedicated member of the Simpson County Alumni Chapter.
Also named were the 2012 College Alumni of the Year. The list includes:
Kerrville, Texas, resident, Donald R. Ford, is being honored by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Ford earned a degree in general agriculture on 1960.
William L. "Bill" Polk III, of Atlanta, Ga., was named for the College of Architecture, Art and Design. Polk is a 1984 architecture graduate.
The College of Arts and Sciences is honor 1949 petroleum geology graduate John D. "Jack" Sistrunk Jr. He currently resides in Madison.
Paul B. Murphy Jr., of Houston, Texas, is alumnus of the year for the College of Business. A 1981 graduate, he earned a degree in banking and finance.
Joe A. Haynes, of Jackson, earned a doctoral degree in educational leadership from MSU in 1983. He is the alumnus of the year for the College of Education.
Houston, Texas, resident, Thomas B. "Tommy" Nusz, is being honored by the James Worth Bagley College of Engineering. Nunz is a 1982 petroleum engineering graduate.
The College of Forest Resources named Charles David Barge, of Macon, as alumnus of the year. He earned a bachelor’s in forestry and a master’s in forestry business in 1976 and 1977, respectively.
Dr. Rodney A. Christmas, a 1993 graduate, has been selected as the honoree by the College of Veterinary Medicine. He is a resident of St. Joseph, Mo.
MSU-Meridian selected Kim S. Benton, of Hickory, as their honoree. Benton, an elementary education graduate, earned a bachelor’s in 1982, a master’s in 1986 and a doctoral degree in 1991.
In addition to these awards, the association is honoring several alumni volunteers for their service to Mississippi State throughout 2012. Edward A. Sanders of the Washington, D.C. Alumni Chapter is being honored as the Outstanding Young Alumnus. Three volunteer leaders are also receiving the 2012 Distinguished Service Award. They include Michael W. “Mike” Criswell of Atlanta, Ga., Robert R. “Rob” Hamlin of Helena, Ala., and Brenda L. Smith of Leakesville.
Congratulations to all of the 2012 and 2013 award winners. Click here for details on the awards banquet and the Feb. 2 leadership conference.