Alumni Fellows
A group of Mississippi State University’s notable alumni are selected each fall as Alumni Fellows. They are honored in recognition of the ultimate measure of a university - the quality of its alumni.
Sponsored by the MSU Alumni Association and the university’s eight academic colleges, the Alumni Fellows Program recognizes alumni who have distinguished themselves in their respective careers. They are selected by each academic college and are invited to return to campus to meet with students, both in the classroom and informally.
Through the years, the Alumni Fellows program has enriched the MSU experience by exposing students to outstanding alumni who share extensive knowledge and real-world experience from their respective fields. These outstanding alumni are willing to discuss specific competencies, attitudes and efforts needed to succeed. The program is an exciting and stimulating way to blend the interests of the accomplished professionals, the students and the professors.
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Christian Hart Preus
Christian Hart Preus, a native of the Mississippi Delta now residing in Fairhope, Alabama, earned his Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from Mississippi State University in 2002, graduating magna cum laude. Preus is the founder and principal of Christian Preus Landscape Architecture, an award-winning design and planning firm that has served the Gulf South for more than 20 years. Preus and the firm have contributed to meaningful projects throughout the Southeast, most recently leading the visioning and master planning for the Crossroads District, which will connect the MSU campus with downtown Starkville. He and his wife, Brooke, have three children: Braden, Madeline Hart and William. One of his proudest achievements is leading the firm while remaining fully present for his family as his oldest son battled cancer for a year. The experience deepened his faith and continues to shape how he leads at work and at home. At MSU, he served on the Landscape Architecture Advisory Board from 2021 to 2023. Preus credits his professors, classmates and relationships formed at MSU for laying the foundation for his success.
College of Architecture, Art and Design
Thomas Whitten Sabbatini
Thomas Whitten Sabbatini, a Mississippi native now residing in Memphis, Tennessee, earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in photography from Mississippi State University in 2013 and a Master of Fine Arts from Columbia College Chicago in 2017. Sabbatini developed his photographic practice to slow down, look more closely and find meaning in overlooked moments that often pass unnoticed. His portfolio explores the humor, tenderness and quiet beauty of everyday life, with a focus on the American South. His photography has appeared in prestigious publications including The New York Times, The New Yorker, GQ, ESPN, TIME and WSJ Magazine. His work is held in the permanent collections of the Museum of Contemporary Photography and the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art. His first monograph, Another Day in Paradise, was a nominee for MACK’s First Book Award.
College of Arts and Sciences
Michelle Barlow Richardson
Michelle Barlow Richardson resides in Alexandria, Virginia, but proudly maintains that she is “always from Clinton, Mississippi.” She earned her Bachelor of Arts in political science from MSU in 1997, graduating magna cum laude. Richardson is the executive vice president at Elevate Government Affairs. She spent more than 25 years serving U.S. Senator Roger Wicker. As Wicker’s chief of staff, she secured legislative wins, including expanding JROTC units and securing funding for rare diseases. Richardson remains active with MSU, having joined a local alumni chapter immediately after moving to Washington, D.C., following graduation. She continues to welcome new alumni with the same warmth she received and serves as a Maroon Mail Writer for the Alumni Recruitment Network. She credits MSU for providing mentors, including Rick Travis, Steve Shaffer and Rex Buffington, who helped her start her career in Washington, D.C. She also thanks the university for the academic background, robust extracurricular activities and leadership qualities that helped her thrive. She credits her family with raising her as a Bulldog, and her sisters and husband with supporting every aspect of her career.
College of Business
Amy Lampton Walker
Amy Lampton Walker of Flowood, Mississippi, earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in marketing from Mississippi State University (MSU) in 2002. A third-generation leader of her privately held family business, she serves on the board of directors of Ergon Inc.
Ergon is a Mississippi-based company that employs more than 5,000 people worldwide and serves markets in more than 100 countries. Since 2004, Walker has served as an area sales manager for Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions Inc., providing infrastructure solutions throughout Mississippi. Her leadership includes service as former chairman of the Mississippi Skills Foundation and the Flowood Chamber of Commerce. She currently serves on the MSU Foundation Board and the Mississippi Road Builders Association. She also serves on the MSU Marketing & Supply Chain Logistics Advisory Board and is a part of the Civil & Environmental Engineering Construction & Materials Regional Consortium.
Walker has been recognized as one of Mississippi’s Top 50 Leading Business Women, a Girl Scouts Woman of Distinction honoree, a Goodwill Salute Honoree and an American Heart Association Woman of Impact. She is an active member of Lakeland Presbyterian Church and shares her busy and rewarding life with her husband, DeFord Walker (an MSU alumnus), and their children, Mari Lampton, a junior at MSU; Ann Elise, who plans to attend MSU in 2027; and Hank, who inspires her professional and personal endeavors.
College of Education
Bo Bounds
Bo Bounds of Madison earned a Bachelor of Arts in history in 2000 and a Master of Science in physical education in 2001 from MSU. Bounds is the creator and owner of the Out of Bounds Show on ESPN 105.9, which he has hosted for 24 years. He is employed full-time with Out of Bounds Sports, LLC. He also founded the Whiskey 61 brand, a super-premium gentleman’s lifestyle brand named after Highway 61. Bounds remembers his time at MSU fondly, believing his undergraduate studies challenged him academically while also giving him the chance to meet wonderful people. During graduate school, he experienced the university’s research, curriculum, speakers and events in ways that continued to shape his appreciation for MSU. He credits his parents and wife, Wendy, for their unwavering belief and support, which have contributed to his professional success.
Bagley College of Engineering
Donald Ray Shirley
Donald Ray Shirley resides in Savannah, Tennessee, but was born and raised in Meridian. He earned a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from MSU in 1995. He currently serves as executive vice president – corrugated products at Packaging Corporation of America, or PCA. Ray is proud to have been with PCA for 30 years. In his current role, Ray oversees 92 box plants and is responsible for all corporate engineering for PCA’s 10 paper mills as well as its box plants. He considers his greatest professional achievement to be building a talented, passionate team that prioritizes a customer-first philosophy. He feels fortunate to have worked alongside such dedicated individuals and is grateful for the positive impact they have made together. Ray serves on multiple boards within both his profession as well as civically. He credits his chemical engineering education at MSU with teaching him to think critically and ask the right questions—skills that have proven invaluable in his career. In giving back, he serves on the Bagley College of Engineering Dean’s Advisory Board from 2025 until present. He credits his wife, Sarah, along with their three daughters, Molly, Macy and Mia, and his parents, Donald and Sandra Shirley, as his biggest supporters.
College of Forest Resources
Nathan Edward Irby, Ph.D.
Nathan Edward Irby, Ph.D., of Eagle Lake earned a Bachelor of Science in 2006 and a Master of Science in 2008 in forest products from MSU, followed by a Doctor of Philosophy in forest resources from MSU in 2019. Since 2021, Irby has served as the executive director of the Railway Tie Association, representing the wood tie industry from the sawmill to the railroad end user. He previously served as the forest products subject matter expert at Union Pacific Railroad from 2013 to 2021, managing its wood tie program from procurement through inventory management, wood quality assurance and research and development. Since 2019, Irby has served as an adjunct faculty member in the MSU Department of Sustainable Bioproducts. Irby treasures teaching and is frequently asked to present on wood preservation and tie industry topics across the country. Additionally, he serves as interim pastor for Ridgeway Baptist Church in Vicksburg. He credits his father, a nearly 40-year veteran with Anderson-Tully Co. in Vicksburg and Memphis, as the most impactful and inspiring influence on his work, citing time spent with him—whether during summer road trips for sales meetings or attending professional trade association functions—as the most meaningful experience in his development.
College of Veterinary Medicine
Dr. Rebekah List
Dr. Rebekah List, a resident of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, holds a Bachelor of Science in animal and dairy science (1998) and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (2001) from Mississippi State University.
Throughout her career, Dr. List has seamlessly bridged advanced clinical veterinary medicine with corporate leadership. At Hill’s Pet Nutrition, she previously served as the senior manager of professional strategic initiatives, leading the Academic Affairs veterinary team and driving high-level strategic partnerships across veterinary schools in the U.S. and the Caribbean. In 2026, she stepped into her current role as interim director of Professional Veterinary Affairs for Mexico, Central and South America.
A recognized industry leader, Dr. List’s multifaceted background includes experience as a veterinary practice owner, emergency veterinarian and global veterinary social media lead managing cross-functional teams across 19 international regions. Honored with numerous awards for innovation, leadership and industry contributions, she also lends her expertise to several academic advisory boards. Dr. List resides in Ocean Springs with her family and three cats.
