Albaugh to Speak at Class Day

Aerospace industry leader James F. Albaugh '74 MS, Executive Vice President of The Boeing Company, will be the keynote speaker for this year's Class Day ceremony.

 

In announcing his selection, Gerald A. Navratil, Interim Dean of SEAS, said, "The mission of our School is to prepare engineering leaders. Mr. Albaugh's accomplishments exemplify the innovation and leadership we encourage in each of our students. We are grateful for his continued support of SEAS and are excited to welcome him back to address the Class of 2009 on such an important occasion."

 

Thirty-five years after participating in his own Class Day, Albaugh will share his insights with the nearly 650 candidates for BS, MS, MPhil, EngScD, and PhD degrees that the School offers through its nine departments.

 

Shortly after completing his master of science degree in civil engineering at SEAS in 1974, Albaugh started work as a Project Engineer and 20 years later rose to become President of Rocketdyne Propulsion & Power. Rocketdyne was acquired by Boeing in 1996, and Mr. Albaugh was named President of Boeing Space Transportation. He was then named President and CEO of Boeing Space & Communications in 1998.

 

"Among the myriad of initiatives that Mr. Albaugh oversees, none is more compelling than space exploration," said Dean Navratil. "Boeing (formerly Rocketdyne) space exploration has been a vital part of this nation's journey into space, from Gemini, Apollo and Skylab to the space shuttle and International Space Station (ISS). Boeing is now working on NASA's Constellation project that will help astronauts return to the moon by 2020."

 

Albaugh's accomplishments in aerospace work are widely recognized. He is a Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and an elected member of the International Academy of Astronautics. He has received the International von Karman Wings Award from the Aerospace Historical Society and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society. Last year, he received the Southern California Aeronautic Association's prestigious Howard Hughes Memorial Award for his extensive contributions to the aerospace industry.

 

In 2002, Boeing merged Space & Communications with its military aircraft and missile systems unit to form Boeing Integrated Defense Systems, where Albaugh serves today as President and CEO. Under his leadership, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems has grown to a $32 billion defense and space business, one of the world's largest. The unit's 70,000 employees develop, produce and deliver aircraft, networked systems and other capabilities-driven solutions to the U.S. military, NASA and international customers.

 

During Reunion 2002, Albaugh delivered the Magill Lecture in Science, Technology and the Arts at SEAS Dean's Day, where he spoke about The Art of Designing and Crafting Space-Bound Platforms. In addition to remaining an involved alumnus, Albaugh is active on the boards of several professional and charitable organizations and has won numerous professional awards. He is a Trustee of Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, where he had earned his bachelor's degree in mathematics and physics.

 

SEAS Class Day ceremonies will be held on Monday, May 18 on South Lawn at 9:30 a.m. University Commencement will be Wednesday, May 20 at 10 a.m.