|

John D. Ward, Jr.
Class of 2002, 2004 |
JOHN D. WARD, Jr.,
CLASS OF 2002, 2004 My wife Marcia and I
live in the upstate of South Carolina where I currently work for
GE Gas Turbines as a turbine blade design engineer. While at
USC, I was active with the USC Racing Team, USC Marching Band, and
was a member of the
Center for
Mechanics of Materials and Non-Destructive Evaluation where I
performed research for both NASA and the Air Force Research Lab. I
was also the team engineer for Sam White Racing, and served the
Boy Scouts of America as a scoutmaster and Eagle Scout board of
review member.
I have worked for GE for a little over a year
and I have filed several patents ranging from turbine blade design
to advanced sealing and cooling devices. It was during my
time working with the USC Racing Team that I realized that there's
always a better way to do or design anything. The
competition-driven desire for excellence that the various
engineering-based teams produces in a student is very similar to
the competition in any market; be it for airplanes or for model
airplanes. It was that teamwork and competition at
the USC Department of Mechanical Engineering that helped to define for
me what being an engineer is all about. The small classes are well
structured such that discussion is always encouraged and access to
the professors is made easy. This makes the educational
process very enjoyable even for the most introverted of students.
The team-building, work ethic, and unparalleled
quality of instruction produced by the fundamental elements of the
Department of Mechanical Engineering is what has and will continue
to be one of the best drivers of success in all of our engineering
students and alumni.
Ward
received both his bachelor's degree in May 2002 and his master's
in May 2004 in Mechanical Engineering from the University of South
Carolina's Mechanical Engineering Department. His thesis
defense was titled "Experimental Investigation into the Fracture
Behavior of Friction Stir Welds in 2024-T351 with Flaws Located at
Various Angles and Proximities to the Weld." |
|
|
DAVID A. KING,
CLASS OF 1983 David A. King graduated
from the Mechanical Engineering Department with a bachelor's
degree in 1983 and shortly after joined NASA's Kennedy Space
Center in Florida as a main propulsion system engineer.
Since then, he has held several titles, both in management and
leadership, including Deputy Director of Shuttle Processing,
Shuttle Launch Director, and Director of Shuttle Processing
through 1999. As Shuttle Launch Director, King oversaw six
Space Shuttle launches. He was promoted to the rank of
director of Space Shuttle Processing in 2000 where he managed and
coordinated the Shuttle program at the Kennedy Center and oversaw
approximately 5,400 employees. King now heads the Marshall
Center in Huntsville, AL, having been named director in 2003.
During his tenure at NASA, King has received
many accolades, most recently in August 2005 receiving the
Presidential Rank Award for Distinguished Executives, the highest
award given for government work. He was one of only four
NASA employees honored and among 55 nationwide to be selected for
the Distinguished Service Award by the President. This
award is given yearly to deserving senior federal employees for
exemplary leadership and service. The nominations are made
by a board of private citizens who give their list of
recommendations to the President.
King was also awarded NASA's Outstanding
Leadership Medal in 2000 and 2004 for his work with technical or
administrative agency programs. In 2001 he received the
Presidential Rank Award for Meritious Executives, given to senior
executive employees for their accomplishments over their career.
He also received the NASA Exceptional Service Medal in 1996, which
is given to those who have shown substantial initiative and
creativity over their careers.
King received his bachelor's
degree from the University of South Carolina in Mechanical
Engineering in 1983 and his master's in Business Administration
from Florida Institute of Technology. He now lives in
Madison, AL with his wife and two daughters. |