Bobby Shackouls of Houston, Texas, (l) is Mississippi State's 2008 National Alumnus of the Year. A 1972 chemical engineering graduate, he is the retired chairman, president and chief executive officer of Burlington Resources Inc. In 2006, the Greenville native and his wife Judy endowed what now is the university's Shackouls Honors College that enrolls more than 1,000 academically achieving students. Shackouls is congratulated by national MSU Alumni Association president David Jones of Jackson.