Dear Alumni and Friends Ole Miss Civil Engineering,

It has been a while since I last communicated with you. I hope you are
having a good summer.

I would like to use this opportunity to announce that Will Castle, a rising
Junior of Civil Engineering, and a native of Winoa, MS, is this year's MDOT
Pilot Scholarship winner. I am attaching a photo of Will and Butch Brown,
Executive Director of MDOT, on signing the contract. The scholarship will
provide Will $10,000/yr cash award for two years. He will be working for
MDOT for a minimum of two years after the graduation. Will is our second
MDOT scholarship holder, after Derek Kendrick last year. Let's congratulate
them!

Let me also use this opportunity to mention a few developments.

. This May the department graduated a rather smaller class, 11 BSCE. I am
showing below, as far as I know, their employment (if it doesn't show, it
only means that the student did not contact me):


      Atapattu, Kaumudi Priyadarshani   Graduate School, University of
California, Berkeley
      Hise, Brad   Teton Industrial, Charlotte, NC
      Moore, Clayton   MDOT, Roadway Division, Jackson, MS
      Neill, William R.
      Perkins, Randall A.   Thomas & Betts, Memphis, TN
      Phelan, Andrew   Pickering Inc., Memphis, TN
      Porter, Henry   Tennessee Department of Transportation
      Samuels, Josh Kane   Graduate School, Tulane University
      Thompson, Michael  Carlson Consulting
      Williams, Ryan Jerome   Graduate School, Texas A&M University
      Witt, Nathan Lynn   Ergon Inc.


. Since we have been graduating the smaller upper classes, and taking in the
larger underclasses, I anticipate another jump in enrollment this fall. I
will let you know the number once semester begins.

. The department is looking forward to gaining some 6,000 sq ft laboratory
space in the old Wal-Mart building, which will be renovated. As lacking
laboratory space is one of the areas that the ABET accreditation team
commented, this gain is much needed and timely.

. As initiated by Dean Lee and Marni Kendricks, Assistant to Dean, the
School of Engineering is offering an Introduction to Engineering course to
high school, community college, and Ole Miss students. This class will be
broadcast state-wide through Internet connections. Many high schools and
community colleges have signed up. A textbook has been assembled which is
absolutely interesting to read! All engineering departments will participate
and teach a part of the class. We are all very excited. Let me also proudly
mention that Marni is a CE 2004 graduate.

Best wishes,

Alex
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Alexander H.-D. Cheng
Professor and Chair
Department of Civil Engineering
University of Mississippi
P.O. Box 1848
University, MS 38677-1848
Tel: 662-915-5362
Fax: 662-915-5523
Email: acheng@olemiss.edu
URL: http://www.olemiss.edu/~acheng/
http://www.olemiss.edu/depts/civil_eng/

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