Engineering Hall of Distinction Welcomes Four

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 23, 2010)–  It is the highest recognition bestowed by the University of Kentucky College of Engineering upon its graduates -- induction into the college's Hall of Distinction.   Dean Thomas W. Lester and other officials of the college will welcome the four newest members into this esteemed group in ceremonies in the UK Student Center at 2 p.m. Friday, April 23.

The four inductees in the 2010 class are Paul F. Boulos, who earned three degrees in civil engineering from UK (Bachelor of Science, 1985; Master of Science, 1986; Ph.D., 1989); John R. (Dick) Lyon, Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering, 1958; Fred T. May, Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering, 1958; and, Roosevelt (Red) Maynard Jr., Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering, 1958. 

"These four individuals are an inspiration to the students, faculty, and staff of the College of Engineering," said Lester. "The success they have earned and the good works they have performed in their lives bring great honor to UK, giving further testament to the quality of graduates the college produces."

A more detailed profile of each of the inductees follows:

• Paul F. Boulos: From water quality principles to hydraulics, Boulos is recognized as a global authority on drinking water distribution engineering. A native of Beirut, Lebanon, Boulos graduated with a Bachelor of Science in general science from the Lebanese American University in Beirut. Following the advice of his cousin who was studying civil engineering at the University of Kentucky, he then moved to Lexington to continue his education. Boulos graduated with distinction from UK in 1985, earning a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. He went on to earn a master’s degree in 1986 and a doctorate in 1989 in civil engineering, also from UK. Boulos began a three-year tenure as a visiting assistant professor of civil engineering at the University of Kentucky that same year, before joining MWH, a global energy and environmental engineering, construction, and management consulting firm now headquartered in Broomfield, Colo. He has served as director, president, and chief operating officer of MWH Soft, which has quickly evolved into a diversified, top-echelon engineering software company and one of the world's most recognizable brands in the field of water and wastewater industries. Today, some 80 percent of the largest U.S. cities and many of the world’s best-run utilities run on MWH Soft software. Boulos is one of only 16 distinguished engineering professionals worldwide to be awarded Honorary Diplomate status by the American Academy of Water Resources Engineers, the academy’s highest honor. In 2009, he was awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, and was made a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers.  Boulos has served in leadership positions in a number of civic and professional organizations. His pioneering work on distribution systems water quality modeling is now an industry standard worldwide.  Boulos lives in Westminster, Colo. with his wife, Katya, and their daughter.

• John R. (Dick) Lyon: A native of Middlesboro, Ky., Lyon earned a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from the University of Kentucky in 1958. As an undergraduate, Lyon was a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Pi Tau Sigma, Tau Beta Pi, and the UK track team. In 1966, Lyon joined NASA as a Kennedy Space Center (KSC) civil servant. This was the beginning of a more than 30-year career at KSC, 17 of which were in leadership positions as a senior executive. Lyon worked on the Apollo and Lunar Module programs, alongside NASA icons such as Werner Von Braun to obtain certification of ground systems designs. He also worked with the Apollo astronauts to familiarize them with the mobile launchers and pads. During the early 1970s, Lyon was appointed chief of space shuttle project engineering to lead the development of unique systems for the checkout, assembly, launch, and landing of the space shuttle. He also served as deputy director of payload operations during the space-lab and Hubbell Space Telescope era.  In the early 1990s, Lyon became program manager for the space station. In that role, he was credited with the foresight to develop and build KSC’s space station processing facility. Lyon retired from NASA in 1996 as the director of KSC shuttle orbiter logistics. Upon retirement, he continued serving NASA as a contractor with Dynacs Engineering Corporation. Lyon is the recipient of numerous awards including the Exceptional Service Medal, the Outstanding Leadership Medal, the Equal Opportunity Medal, and the Atomic Energy Commission Certificate of Commendation. In April 2009, he became only the 20th recipient of the prestigious Debus Award in recognition of his significant contributions to our nation’s space program. Lyon and his wife, Katherine, live in Cocoa, Fla. They have two children and four grandchildren.

• Fred T. May: Born and raised in Prestonsburg, Ky., May graduated with distinction in 1958 with a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from the University of Kentucky. As a student, he was a member of Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity and Tau Beta Pi, and served as president of Eta Kappa Nu. May went on to earn his master’s degree in electrical engineering in 1961 from the University of Tennessee while working full time in thermonuclear plasma research at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. That same year, he started what would become a long and distinguished career with IBM, returning to Lexington and joining the electric typewriter division as an associate engineer.  May was named senior engineer in 1967. He led the design and development of the electronics for the Mag Card/Selectric typewriter. He moved to Austin, Texas, in 1968 to head up a new development laboratory, which grew exponentially during May's four years there.  By this time, he also had received six U.S. patents. A move back to Lexington in 1972 included new responsibilities for IBM.  As vice president of engineering, May led a group of 2,000 employees in four locations across the country and eventually became responsible for worldwide product management in six business areas with $2 billion in revenue. Later, May returned to Austin to serve as vice president of office systems, where the Austin lab, working with IBM Research, began focusing on alternative products to mainframe computers.  May led the initial work in the selection of UNIX as the operating system of choice for advanced workstation development. After 26 years of service, May retired from IBM in 1987 at the age of 50. He spent the next 12 years working as a management consultant, while also serving as a research associate at the University of Texas and a member of the board of directors of Ross Technology. Today, May maintains a website for the Samuel May House in Prestonsburg. He and his wife, Darlene, live in Austin, Texas. They have three children and three granddaughters.

• Roosevelt (Red) Maynard, Jr.: A native of Inez, Ky., Maynard attended Morehead State University for three years, spending his summers working as a machinist.  He then enrolled at the University of Kentucky, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering in 1958. Maynard began work at the Ford Motor Company in 1959. He later earned an MBA from the University of Michigan. Over the course of 37 years, Maynard used skills he learned at UK to help the auto giant reach great heights of success. From the Mustang to the Taurus, he relentlessly pursued the highest standards in powertrain, design, development, and manufacturing productivity.  Over the years, Maynard managed a number of engineering departments and manufacturing plants at Ford. In the early 1990s, he was asked to design, launch, and manage a new program for the company. The program, Ford’s Continuous Improvement Recognition System, reportedly saved Ford over $1 billion during the three years that he was program director from 1992 to 1995. After retiring from Ford in 1995, Maynard founded Maynard Performance Management Company. He researched, designed, and copyrighted the Performance Empowerment Recognition Systems (PERS), which empowers employees to take actions they know will result in cost savings, improved quality, and productivity.  From 2002 to 2004, he served as the membership division director for the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME), managing a $10 million annual budget and a staff of 30 that served 38,000 members in 70 countries.  Maynard's career includes two automotive automatic transmission patents. Now fully retired, he is a life member of the alumni associations of the University of Kentucky and the University of Michigan.  Maynard is president-elect of the University of Michigan Club of the Bluegrass.  He and his wife, Marilyn, reside in Lexington. They have two sons and one grandchild.