UA Honors Three Distinguished Engineering Fellows

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of Alabama College of Engineering honored three alumni of the College by inducting them into its class of 2009 Distinguished Engineering Fellows.

Robert M. Lightfoot Jr., John S. Richardson and Dr. Angela Summers received the top honor the College presents at a ceremony on April 4 at NorthRiver Yacht Club.

Robert M. Lightfoot Jr. – Bachelor of Science, Mechanical Engineering, 1986

Robert M. Lightfoot Jr. has been a model leader at NASA for the past 20 years. Whether he was working at the NASA centers in the South or at the national headquarters in Washington D.C., his dedication to space has significantly contributed to NASA’s mission as he has helped pioneer the future in space exploration and scientific discovery.

After graduating from the Capstone with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, Lightfoot began his NASA career at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville as a test engineer and program manager. In 1999, he joined the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi as chief of propulsion test operations, and he was named director of the Propulsion Test Directorate in 2002.

Lightfoot’s devotion to NASA brought him to the nation’s capital in 2003 following the Space Shuttle Columbia accident. Serving as an assistant associate administrator for the space shuttle program, he led the headquarters space shuttle return to flight efforts and worked on the “Vision for Space Exploration,” an initiative calling for the future exploration of the moon, Mars and beyond.

Currently, Lightfoot is the acting director of the Marshall Space Flight Center and is responsible for managing one of NASA’s largest field installations and leading for more than 8,400 civil service and contractor employees.

John S. Richardson – Bachelor of Science, Mineral Engineering, 1979; Master of Science, Mineral Engineering, 1983

John S. Richardson has dedicated his career to Energen Resources Corp., displaying engineering expertise and leadership abilities through the numerous positions he has served within the company.

Richardson began at the company as a production engineer in 1985, and has since served as manager and general manger of conventional operations, vice president of acquisitions and engineering, and executive vice president.

Currently, as president and chief operating officer, Richardson is responsible for directing all aspects of the company, including acquisitions, exploration, exploitation and production activities, as well as playing a chief role in determining company strategy.

He has recommended and executed the investment of more than $1.3 billion in acquisitions and was instrumental in the subsequent investment of over $1.8 billion in development capital. This growth has resulted in Energen Resources becoming one of the 20 largest independent oil and gas companies in the United States and the largest onshore producer in Alabama.

Before coming to Energen, Richardson graduated from The University of Alabama, where he received both his bachelor’s degree in mineral engineering and his master’s degree in mineral engineering, with a petroleum option. Following graduation, Richardson worked as an engineer at various positions at AmSouth Bank, Shell Western E & P Inc., and Exxon USA.

Angela Elaine Summers – Doctorate in Chemical Engineering, 1993

Dr. Angela Summers’ contributions to chemical engineering have been numerous, whether as a research associate, project engineer or as president of her own company. In addition, she has continually encouraged education and development in the field of engineering.

Before coming to the Capstone to receive her doctorate in chemical engineering, Summers received her bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Mississippi State University, and her master’s degree in environmental systems engineering from Clemson University. After working in the environmental industry, she began her career in safety systems at Premier Consulting Services, which is part of Triconex Corp. In 1999, she founded her own company, SIS-Tech Solutions LP.

As president and owner, Summers acts as working manager of engineering and consulting. There, she specializes in the assessment, design, programming, operation, maintenance and long-term support of safety instrumented systems used to prevent catastrophic releases in the chemical process industry. Summers also serves as working manager of product development at SIS-Tech Applications, which has received nine patents to date. Under her leadership, SIS-Tech has grown to more than 40 employees.

Summers is a member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and the Center for Chemical Process Safety. She serves on numerous industrial standards committees related to process safety and safe automation. She has more than 50 publications and recently completed a new chapter on safety instrumented systems for the eighth edition of Perry’s Handbook of Chemical Engineering.

In 2008, Summers and her husband recognized the importance and lasting effect of their education from the Capstone by endowing a scholarship in honor of her former adviser and teacher, Dr. Irvin A. Jefcoat.

Summers resides in Houston, Texas.

In 1837, The University of Alabama became one of the first five universities in the nation to offer engineering classes. Today, UA’s fully accredited College of Engineering has about 2,300 students and more than 100 faculty. In the last seven years, students in the College have been named USA Today All-USA College Academic Team members, Goldwater scholars, Hollings scholars and Portz scholars.