Momentum - The Magazine for Virginia Tech Mechanical Engineering Vol. 3 No. 2 Summer 2018 | Page 28

From left: John Sparks, Walter O'Brien, Keith Van Houten, Nicholas Des Champs, John R. Jones III, Mary "Prim" Jones, Robert Gibson, Michele Grieshaber, Sarah Mayer, and William Wells. First members inducted into ME distinguished alumni society On April 25 mechanical engineering hosted the first-ever induction into the newly created Virginia Tech Mechanical Engineering Soci- ety of Distinguished Alumni. “Working with our advisory board, we felt it was appro- priate to create a society to formally recognize alumni who have demonstrated extraordinary achievement in their careers, and promote greater interaction between alumni, faculty, staff, and students,” said Azim Eskan- darian, department head and Nicholas and Rebecca Des Champs Professor of Me- chanical Engineering. MOMENTUM The department inducted individuals from mechanical engineering who had been previously inducted into the College of Engineering’s Academy of Academic Excel- lence through 2017 as Legacy members, as well as five new members to make up the inaugural class. Legacy Members include: George R. Goodson Jr., ’49 John R. Jones III, ’67 Mary “Prim” Jones, ’62 William K. Wells, ’66 Also included as legacy members are the follow- ing who were inducted posthumously: R. Sidney Barrett Jr., ’62 Edgar Boynton, ’21 William A. Cox Jr., ’34 J.B. Jones, ’45 E. George Middleton Jr., ’50 Hobart A. Weaver, ’50 Jerry H. Ballengee, ’62 David A. Christian, ’76 Nicholas H. Des Champs, ’62 and ’67 Regina E. Dugan, ’84 and ’85 The five members of the Elmer R. Easton, ’47 ME Society of Distinguished Alumni Class of 2018 are: Robert C. Gibson, ’61 SUMMER 2018 PAGE 28