Contact: Sammy McDavid
Top row, left: Former Hernando resident William T. "Bill" Hawks (l) is the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Alumnus of the Year at Mississippi State University. Now in Washington, D.C., the 1968 economics graduate serves as undersecretary for marketing and regulatory programs in the United States Department of Agriculture. The annual awards program is sponsored by the MSU Alumni Association to honor graduates who are recognized leaders in their fields of endeavor. Hawks, who also holds a 1970 master's in economics from MSU, is presented his honor at a recent campus banquet by college Interim Dean Vance Watson.
Top row, right: George P. Kappler Jr. of Guntersville, Ala., (r) is the College of Arts and Sciences Alumnus of the Year at Mississippi State University. The 1969 chemistry graduate is founder of Kappler Development Co., the world's leading manufacturer of limited-use protective apparel. Last year, Kappler's company allied with the DuPont chemical company to manufacture a range of industrial protective clothing. Presenting his honor is college Dean Phillip B. Oldham.
Second row, left: Gloria C. Correro of Starkville is the College of Education Alumna of the Year at Mississippi State University. A retired associate dean of the college, she is a nationally recognized authority on kindergarten and the teaching of early childhood reading. A Greenwood native, Correro received a bachelor's degree in elementary education in 1962 and a master's the following year. She also holds a doctorate from the University of Alabama. Presenting the honor is college Dean Roy Ruby.
Second row, right: Dr. Vernon C. "Cory" Langston of Starkville (l) is the College of Veterinary Medicine Alumnus of the Year at Mississippi State University. A member of the college faculty since 1987, he leads the community practice service of the Animal Health Center. After completing undergraduate studies at MSU in 1977, Langston became a member of the college's inaugural class. He received his MSU degree in 1981, then pursued a doctorate in veterinary pharmacology at the University of Illinois. Presenting his honor is college Dean John Thomson.
Third row, left: Rufus W. Shivers of Alexandria, Va., (l) is the James Worth Bagley College of Engineering Alumnus of the Year at Mississippi State University. A retired senior engineer with the United States Energy Department, he received bachelor's and master's degrees in mechanical engineering in 1939 and 1941, respectively. In 1997, Shivers concluded more than five decades of federal service that included military security duty with Gen. Leslie R. Groves, head of the Manhattan Project that developed the atomic bomb. He also holds a patent on a nuclear heater system used by the U.S. Navy. Presenting his honor is college Dean Wayne Bennett.
Third row, right: Oktibbeha County native Adrian M. Blocker (l) is the College of Forest Resources Alumnus of the Year at Mississippi State University. Blocker, who holds three MSU degrees, is the Savannah, Ga.-based director of strategic planning for International Paper Co. Blocker received bachelor's degrees in forestry and general business administration in 1979 and a master's in business administration in 1981. Presenting his honor is college Dean Sam Foster.
Bottom row, left: Louis A. Hurst Jr. of Houston, Texas, is the College of Business and Industry Alumnus of the Year at Mississippi State University. A Poplarville native and 1949 accounting graduate, he is a retired regional executive with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Presenting his MSU honor is college Dean Sara Freedman.
Bottom row, right: Ann Robertson Somers of Jackson is the School of Architecture Alumna of the Year at Mississippi State University. The 1981 graduate is a partner in the capital city firm of Cooke Douglass Farr Lemons Ltd. A member of the architecture school's advisory board, Somers' latest design projects include expansions at the Blue Cross-Blue Shield Insurance Co. campus and the Mississippi Archives and History Building, both in Jackson. Presenting her honor is college Dean James I. West.