Contact: Phil Hearn
Retiring Bagley College of Engineering dean A. Wayne Bennett displays a parting memento presented by Mississippi State president Charles Lee (c) during a recent ceremony. Lee announced Friday MSU is naming a wing of the engineering college's oldest building, McCain Hall, to honor Bennett and his wife, Shirley (l). Bennett retires June 30 after serving as dean for the past eight years. The momento is a framed photo of the couple and a statement from Lee marking Bennett's service to the university.
Mississippi State is naming a wing of the Bagley College of Engineering's oldest building, McCain Hall, in honor of retiring dean A. Wayne Bennett and his wife.
The second-floor, north section of the recently refurbished building was named the Wayne and Shirley Bennett Enhancements Wing of McCain Hall following a unanimous vote of the university's Naming of Facilities Committee. Such designations traditionally honor people who have performed extraordinary service for the university.
President Charles Lee's public announcement came Friday during a 10 a.m. reception in the John Grisham Room of MSU's Mitchell Memorial Library--less than a month before Bennett's planned June 30 retirement after eight years as dean.
"The past eight years have been a period of enormous transformation and stellar achievements for the Bagley College of Engineering," Lee said during a private retirement dinner for Bennett earlier in the week. "Our students in engineering are excelling among their peers on campus and in regional, national and international competition."
In response, Bennett said: "Shirley and I are deeply touched to be honored in such a special way. Both of us are committed to broadening the experiences of engineering students through the enhancement programs. We will be forever grateful for this wonderful honor."
Through the Undergraduate Engineering Enhancements program implemented by Bennett, Lee noted the preparation of students in the college "has been broadened beyond the technical aspects of engineering to include an emphasis on communicative skills, global awareness, leadership skills, entrepreneurship, and computational skills."
The president also cited the college's "significant and growing race and gender diversity," increased faculty production, proliferation of K-12 outreach programs, "soaring" research funding, improved physical facilities and gains in private support as hallmarks of Bennett's tenure as dean.
"Dean Bennett has helped all of us aim higher and dream bigger," said Lee.
A native of Rocky Mount, Va., Bennett received bachelor's and master's degrees in electrical engineering from Virginia Tech in 1960 and 1963, respectively. His doctorate in the discipline was completed at the University of Florida in 1966.
Prior to his appointment as MSU dean in 1996, Bennett was senior vice president and dean of the graduate school at Clemson University. He recently received the Teddy Roosevelt Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies/Mississippi to recognize his outstanding contributions to the profession.