The University of Alabama Lee J. Styslinger Jr. College of Engineering inducted six alumni as Distinguished Engineering Fellows at a banquet at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium on April 25.
Each year, the Styslinger College of Engineering inducts a select group of alumni and supporters as fellows. Recognition as a fellow is the highest commendation given to graduates and others who have strengthened the reputation of the College through their efforts.
The 2026 class consists of C. Ellis Brazeal III of Birmingham; George H. Conner, of Montgomery; Al Faulkner, of Gulf Breeze, Florida; Robert Hines Jr., of Houston, Texas; Dr. Barry S. Johnston, of Melrose, Massachusetts; and Barbara Hattemer McCrary, of Tuscaloosa.
C. Ellis Brazeal III
C. Ellis Brazeal III is a senior partner in the Birmingham office of Jones Walker LLP, a Deep South regional law firm. With more than 30 years of experience in corporate restructuring and government contracting litigation, Brazeal has worked with all levels of state, federal and bankruptcy courts. Over the past 16 years, he has combined his government contracting expertise with his aerospace engineering background to focus on aerospace and defense litigation, contract review and regulatory matters.
George H. Conner
George H. Conner, a registered professional engineer, has served as deputy director for operations of the Alabama Department of Transportation for the past decade. Conner joined ALDOT in 1992 following four years of Air Force service, rising through the organization over the past three decades. In his role, he oversees the five ALDOT regions, as well as ALDOT’s operational bureaus, which include maintenance, construction, materials and tests, and equipment.
Al Faulkner
Al Faulkner is the director of capital projects for Ascend Performance Materials, headquartered in Pensacola, Florida, leading a team that executes projects around the globe. Faulkner joined Ascend, formerly Monsanto, in 1993, beginning as a manufacturing engineer and progressing through leadership positions in multiple units. Faulkner led the manufacturing team on the engineering development of the world’s largest propane dehydrogenation plant.
Robert Hines Jr.
Robert Hines Jr. is a colonel in the United States Air Force and an astronaut at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Hines served 27 years in the Air Force in various pilot assignments in missions around the world. He joined NASA in 2012 and ultimately was selected to join the 2017 Astronaut Candidate Class. During his career, he has accumulated more than 4,000 hours of flight time in 50 different types of aircraft. Hines served as the pilot on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-4 mission to the International Space Station in 2022, logging 170 days in space.
Dr. Barry S. Johnston
Dr. Barry S. Johnston is a retired senior lecturer and undergraduate officer in the department of chemical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He maintained an industrial career at Eastman Chemicals, DuPont and Westinghouse, working on process design, troubleshooting and research, before joining MIT. He directed student projects in the practice school internship program before taking on teaching undergraduate students in courses covering material and energy balances, computations and process control.
Barbara Hattemer McCrary
Barbara Hattemer McCrary has served as president of HHB Engineers P.C. since 2014. During this time, she has positioned HHB as a premier firm for complex projects for public universities and governmental infrastructure. Her work has included the restoration of federally recognized churches vital to the Civil Rights Movement, enabling Alabama’s vital structures to operate reliably and efficiently. McCrary’s work on UA’s campus includes the $110 million renovation of Bryant-Denny Stadium in 2020, among numerous other projects in high-tech research labs, athletics facilities and academic spaces.
For complete biographies of this year’s Distinguished Engineering Fellows, visit the event page.