Every year at spring commencement, the Cockrell School of Engineering honors its alumni with the Distinguished Engineering Alumni Awards. The Distinguished Engineering Graduate and the Outstanding Young Engineering Graduate awards are the highest honors that the Cockrell School bestows on its alumni.
Established in 1957, the Distinguished Engineering Graduate Award (DEG) recognizes honorees as highly respected professionals, dedicated engineers and supporters of higher education. Including this year’s honorees, 260 alumni have been selected for this award.
Established in 1991, the Outstanding Young Engineering Graduate Award (OYEG) recognizes rising stars of Cockrell School alumni under the age of 40. Honorees are selected for their early outstanding professional achievements, dedication to public service and support of higher education. Including this year’s honoree, 27 alumni have received this award.
2014 Honorees
Curt G. Engelhorn
B.S. ChE 1951
Former Chairman, New Corange London Limited
German-born Curt G. Engelhorn is a pharmaceutical industry veteran and philanthropist.
After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the Cockrell School in 1951, Engelhorn went on to build a pharmaceutical empire.
Janet H. Lowe
B.S. ChE 1979
Principal, LTI LLC
Engineer-turned-entrepreneur Janet H. Lowe is co-founder and principal of LTI LLC, a consulting company.
After receiving a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the Cockrell School in 1979, Lowe joined Shell as a process engineer. Seeking business skills to facilitate her entrepreneurial ambitions, Lowe left industry to earn her MBA from Rice University in 1988 and then accepted management and executive positions in marketing, sales, finance and strategy at Sterling Partners, Compaq and WilTel Communications. She eventually co-founded CPLEX Optimization, a software startup.
Brian M. McKee
B.S. ASE 1980
Chairman, Millennium Engineering and Integration Company
Brian M. McKee is co-founder and chairman of Millennium Engineering and Integration Company (MEI), a high-end engineering contractor providing expertise to the Army, Air Force, Navy, Missile Defense Agency, Department of Homeland Security, Office of the Secretary of Defense and NASA.
McKee received his bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from the Cockrell School in 1980.
Randall W. Poston
B.S. CE 1978, M.S. CE 1980, Ph.D. CE 1984
Principal, WDP & Associates Inc.
Randall W. Poston, Ph.D., P.E., S.E., is a structural engineer and founding principal of the engineering consulting firm WDP & Associates Inc., in Austin.
Poston says that if he has had success, by whatever measure, it is directly attributable to his undergraduate education at the Cockrell School and his graduate training at the school’s Phil M. Ferguson Structural Engineering Laboratory. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering in 1978 and 1980, respectively.
Autry C. Stephens
B.S. PE 1961, M.S. PE 1962
President & CEO, Endeavor Energy Resources LP
Autry C. Stephens is the president and CEO of Endeavor Energy Resources LP.
He received both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in petroleum engineering from the Cockrell School in 1961 and 1962, respectively.
Brett Paulson
B.S. EE 2000
Vice President of Sales, Ketra Inc.
Brett Paulson is vice president of sales at Ketra Inc., a startup working on innovative LED lighting products in Austin.
Paulson holds an MBA from Stanford University and a bachelor’s degree in electrical and computer engineering from the Cockrell School.
