The Texas A&M University College of Engineering honored five students with its Craig C. Brown Outstanding Senior Engineering Award during a banquet on Oct. 6 at the Memorial Student Center on the Texas A&M campus.
Seniors Benjamin E. Jack, Adam Kellen, Adam Navara, Adam Springer and Courtney Walker received the annual award for their academic achievement, character and leadership abilities.
Jack, an electrical and computer engineering major, is from Kingsport, Tennessee. His ability to work toward a common goal with a wide variety of people as well as his tendency to see new situations as unique opportunities have marked his career at Texas A&M. Through his academic coursework, engineering honors program and undergraduate research, he has had the opportunity to build these strengths, working with students and professors of many various fields from all over the world. Jack has earned numerous academic awards including being honored as a Brown Scholar and an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Power and Energy Society Schweitzer Meritorious Scholar. In addition, he is a National Aggie Scholar Ambassador. He is strongly connected with his faith, serving as a bible study leader at Grace Bible Church and as a member of Christian Engineering Leaders. He has worked as an intern for Eastman Chemical Company twice, and recently completed an internship with Boeing Space and Security as an avionics and software engineer in the Boeing Engineering Accelerated Hiring Initiative.
Kellen is an aerospace engineering major from Spring, Texas. His goal has always been to succeed and to help ensure the success of those around him. From mentoring underclassmen to reshaping the culture of his squadron in the Corps of Cadets into a family focused on mutual success, Kellen’s concern for his fellow Aggies is well-known. As first sergeant in the O. R. Simpson Honor Society, he introduced numerous academic support systems, one of which has helped reach more than 700 cadets over the past two years. His efforts in the Corps of Cadets earned him the honor of Most Outstanding Executive Officer. Outside of the corps, Kellen has been a leader on the SAE Aero Design Team as an engineering team leader, and an active member of Sigma Gamma Tau Aerospace Honor Society. He has interned with Ingenium Technologies working on the development of airplane actuation systems; worked as a student engineer at Southwest Research Institute; and served as a student research assistant to Dr. Moble Benedict, assistant professor of aerospace engineering. Kellen is passionate about his research in the field of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, and will be pursuing graduate studies in the Advanced Vertical Flight lab with Benedict.
Navara is a biomedical engineering major from San Antonio. As the managing editor of The Eckleburg Project, Navara stands out from the average engineering student. The Eckleburg Project is the official undergraduate literary magazine of Texas A&M, serving to promote art on campus. In addition to this unique experience, Navara has been a student researcher for Dr. Daniel Alge at Texas A&M, and Dr. Colin Bishop as a Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine Summer Scholar. Navara is also involved with the National Aggie Scholar Ambassadors as a recruiter and mentor, the Biomedical Engineering Society as a member and mentor, and the Phi Eta Sigma Honors Society. He has been honored as an Undergraduate Research Scholar, Engineering Scholar, President’s Endowed Scholar and University of California, Berkeley Engineering Preview Days Invitee — one of only 14 prospective graduate students. He credits his involvement with these various organizations and his academic studies as the catalysts for his aspirations to develop engineering solutions that will ultimately change the community for the better.
Springer is a civil engineering major from Huntsville, Texas. A Brown Foundation Scholar, President’s Endowed Scholar, Dean’s Honor Roll student, and Distinguished Student, Springer is dedicated to his studies and has excelled academically throughout his career at Texas A&M. In addition to his scholastic achievements, Springer serves as Unit Commanding Officer in the Corps of Cadets, a member of the Ross Volunteer Company, an active member of the O. R. Simpson Honor Society and an active member of the Tau Beta Pi Honor Society. He is most proud, however, of his involvement with The Navigators, a Christian organization where Springer has been a bible study leader throughout his college career. Springer also attended the civil engineering study abroad trip to Spain this summer where he took classes in water resources and geomatics.
Walker is a petroleum engineering major from Sugar Land, Texas. Best characterized by her dedication and passion, Walker has excelled in every aspect of her college career. Academically, she has been awarded the President’s Endowed Scholarship, the Petroleum Engineering Scholarship, the Dean’s Honor Award and the Fort Bend Panhellenic Scholarship. She has displayed excellent leadership abilities as former co-chair of the career development committee and now as vice president of the student chapter of the Society of Petroleum Engineers. For her outstanding leadership she was selected as a Spring Leadership Exchange Participant to visit the Qatar campus during spring break. She has also been to Costa Rica and Dubai during her time at Texas A&M. She has been a member of social sorority Alpha Delta Pi for two years and Pi Epsilon Tau honors fraternity for three years. She is also heavily involved with community service, from serving at St. Mary’s Catholic Church to The Big Event to Habitat for Humanity. Impressively, Walker has also held a position with Southwestern Energy for three consecutive summers, first as a roustabout intern and then for two summers as an engineering intern where she pursued her passion for environmental conservation.
The Craig C. Brown Outstanding Senior Engineer Award is the most prestigious honor bestowed upon a graduating senior in the college of engineering. The award is based on outstanding scholastic achievement, leadership and character.
The award was first presented in 1947 as the Engineering Faculty Senior Award. In 1996, the award was renamed to recognize Craig C. Brown for his vision to expand and enhance the program through a permanent endowment. This year’s recipients received a $5,000 educational grant and an award. Their names will be added to the program’s recognition plaque.
Brown is a 1975 civil engineering graduate and past recipient of the Engineering Faculty Senior Award. He also received a Master of Business Administration from Texas A&M and is the president, owner and chief operating officer of Bray International Inc.