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MILLIGAN COLLEGE, Tenn. (March 29, 2016) — Milligan College installed a new faculty chair this morning at a ceremony in Milligan’s Mary B. Martin Auditorium, located in Seeger Chapel. Dr. Greg Harrell, director of Milligan’s engineering programs, was named the Malcolm C. and Ruth G. Myers Chair of Engineering.
Launching this fall, Milligan’s new engineering program is the first of its kind in the region, offering majors in mechanical and electrical engineering. The program will be housed in newly-constructed labs in the college’s B.D. Phillips Building.
“I have never encountered someone more excited about his or her chosen field as Dr. Harrell,” said Dr. Carolyn Carter, dean of Milligan’s William B. Greene, Jr., School of Business and Technology, at the ceremony. “He has worked tirelessly over the past three years as a lead consultant for the engineering programs to develop the curriculum, while overseeing the remodeling efforts of the B.D. Phillips Building.”
Prior to his role at Milligan, Harrell taught at Virginia Tech, the University of Tennessee, North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina-Charlotte. He also served as a design engineer and utilities process engineer for BASF Corporation and currently is a senior associate with Energy Management Services, where he has conducted energy assessments and training for industrial clients on six continents, in 29 countries and 42 of the United States, in addition to serving as the lead technical advisor for the U.S. Department of Energy and the United Nations Industrial Programs. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of Tennessee and a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering-thermodynamics from Virginia Tech. He is a member of Jefferson City Christian Church in Jefferson City, Tennessee.
The Malcolm C. and Ruth G. Myers Chair of Engineering was established through the generosity of Ruth Myers, of Cincinnati, Ohio, in memory of her late husband. In November 2014, she donated a $1 million lead gift to help support the launch of Milligan’s engineering program.
“This gift is a strong endorsement of the college’s engineering program and its STEM programs in science, technology, engineering and math. We are incredibly grateful to Mrs. Myers and her family who also wanted to see their generosity serve as an inspiration to others as Milligan seeks additional investment in the program,” said Milligan President Dr. Bill Greer. “Milligan is in an excellent position to train engineers, because of the strength of our science and technology areas, as well as our strong liberal arts core, which we believe makes better engineers who understand the society and culture in which they are working and serving.”
After serving in the Navy during World War II, Malcolm graduated from Purdue University with a degree in mechanical engineering and worked his way through engineering, sales and management positions at Lunkenheimer Co., General Electric, OPW and Carlisle Co., where he served as CEO from 1971 until his retirement in 1989.
Ruth earned a degree from the University of Cincinnati and has been a lifelong contributor to the greater Cincinnati community and numerous missions, ministries and educational institutions. The couple has three children, eight grandchildren, and 17 great-grandchildren. They enjoyed nearly 65 years together before his passing in 2012.
Milligan’s engineering program has gained the praise of major industry players such as Eastman, TPI Corporation and Nuclear Fuel Services who have offered support through co-op and internship opportunities, curricular input, scholarships and program funding. All have expressed interest in hiring Milligan engineering grads. The college recently named the “Robert C. Hart Engineering Scholarship” in honor of Bob Hart, who was part of Milligan’s V-12 program in 1945 and former Tennessee Eastman president. Worth $2,000 per year, the scholarship will support future Milligan engineering students.
Additionally, the college will seek program accreditation from the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) as students reach the appropriate milestones. Accordingly, the college’s program has been designed to meet ABET standards. More information on ABET accreditation can be found on the ABET web site at www.abet.org.
To apply for Milligan’s engineering program, contact the Admissions Office 423.461.8700 or email admission@milligan.edu. Learn more at www.milligan.edu/engineering.