Contact: Sammy McDavid
STARKVILLE, Miss.--Mississippi State's eight academic colleges annually select an outstanding graduate to receive the Alumnus of the Year award. College honorees recognized for 2008 by the university's alumni association include:
--William B. Berry of Houston, Texas, Bagley College of Engineering. Recently retired executive vice president at the ConocoPhillips Co., he received petroleum engineering bachelor's and master's degrees in 1974 and 1976, respectively.
--Jimmy L. Solomon of Statesboro, Ga., College of Arts and Sciences. A 1966 mathematics graduate, he is dean of the Paulson College of Science and Technology at Georgia Southern University. He also is dean emeritus and head emeritus of MSU's arts and sciences college and mathematics and statistics department, respectively.
--Maxine Harper of Greenwood, College of Education. A 1979 master's degree graduate in special education, she is associate director of the Center for Education Research and Evaluation and an adjunct instructor of special education at the University of Mississippi.
--Dr. Gary J. "Joey" Burt of Oxford, Ohio, College of Veterinary Medicine. A 1987 graduate, he is owner and a practicing veterinarian at the Animal Care Clinic of Oxford.
--Carolyn Shanks of Madison, College of Business and Industry. A 1983 accounting graduate, she is president and chief executive officer of the Jackson-based Entergy Mississippi power company.
--James H. "Jim" Tidwell of Frankfort, Ky., College of Forest Resources. A 1987 doctoral graduate in aquaculture, wildlife and fisheries, he is aquaculture division chair at Kentucky State University's Aquaculture Research Center.
--Michael Chaney of Savannah, Ga., College of Architecture, Art and Design. Enrolled in MSU's fine arts curriculum for two years, Chaney is a member of the Savannah College of Art and Design's film and television faculty.
--U.S. Rep. Marsha W. Blackburn (R-Tenn.), [not pictured], College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. She is a 1973 home economics graduate.
For more information about Mississippi State University, see http://www.msstate.edu/.