Contact: Harriet Laird
STARKVILLE, Miss.--Mississippi State University has named the 2010 class of Alumni Fellows, with each of the 10 individuals having distinguished themselves in their respective careers.
Representing each college and the Meridian campus, the group returned to the university recently to meet with students, faculty and staff. The 2010 class includes:
--Michael Hatcher of Olive Branch from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Hatcher, a 1982 landscape contracting graduate, is president of Michael Hatcher and Associates Inc.
--Robert E. "Bob" Luke, a 1980 architecture graduate, for the College of Architecture, Art and Design. Luke, of Meridian, is president of LPK Architects P.A.
--Cindy M. Stevens, of Alexandria, Va., representing the College of Arts and Sciences. She is a 1983 graduate with a bachelor's degree in political science and currently serves as director of government relations for Deloitte and Touche USA LLP in Washington D.C.
--1978 accounting graduate C. Donald "Don" Whitmire Jr., for the College of Business. Whitmire, of Scottsdale, Ariz., serves as vice president and controller for financial reporting at Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc., the world's largest publicly traded copper company.
--East Mississippi Community College President Rick Young from the College of Education. Young, of Eupora, received a bachelor's degree in 1972, a master's in 1974, and a doctorate in 1993 from Mississippi State.
--Alfred F. "Al" Eaton for the James Worth Bagley College of Engineering. Eaton, a 1970 aerospace engineering graduate, lives in Bakersfield, Calif. Currently, he serves as a senior vice president with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC.
--Wayne H. Smith of Melrose, Fla., representing the College of Forest Resources. The 1962 and 1965 graduate holds a master's and doctoral degree from Mississippi State. Smith is a professor and director emeritus in the School of Forest Resources and Conservation at the University of Florida.
--a husband and wife team for the College of Veterinary Medicine. Drs. Jeff and Sue Pearce own and operate Cloverleaf Animal Clinic, a multi-veterinary small animal practice in Memphis, Tenn. Sue graduated in 1983 with a bachelor's degree in animal science and 1987 with a doctorate in veterinary medicine. Jeff earned his doctorate in veterinary medicine in 1987 as well.
--Dr. James W. "Jimmy" Hollingsworth of Lake, representing the MSU Meridian campus. Hollingsworth, a 1987 alumnus, is a practicing general dentist at Hollingsworth Dental Clinic in Newton.
Through the years, the Alumni Fellows program has sought to recognize some of Mississippi State's most accomplished alumni. This program has served as a means for enriching students' university experiences by exposing them to outstanding alumni who are willing to talk about specific competencies, attitudes and efforts needed to succeed.