Alumni Fellows - 2017
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Drew T. St. John II
Drew St. John II knows firsthand about Bulldog spirit. He energized fans from 1976-78 as MSU’s mascot. Today, the former MSU Student Association officer and Interfraternity Council president is just as passionate as ever about his university.
St. John, a 1980 landscape contracting graduate, feels that MSU developed him for organizational leadership roles. He credits Mississippi State for his success because it provided him with “a blend of class time, leadership roles and internships that were a strong foundation for a business career.” He will now use the Alumni Fellow honor as a way to devote more of his time to MSU.
St. John utilized his MSU degree over a 28-year career as a landscape contractor. He also presided over the Associated Landscape Contractors of America organization. In 2007, St. John founded New South Access and Environmental Solutions LLC. He serves as CEO of the company, a leading global provider of construction mats, hardwood and timber mats, and composite mats.
A Mississippi native originally from Hattiesburg, St. John now calls Madison home with his wife Kathy, a 1979 marketing graduate of the College of Business. They met during their time on campus as MSU students.
Of his many State memories, St. John recalls one of his favorites. “Seeing my youngest daughter, Katharine, enjoy the same wonderful years my wife and I did and graduate from MSU” remains among special moments for him.
Together, the couple’s support extends to athletics, an endowed professorship in wildlife management, and scholarships at MSU. They are lifelong wildlife enthusiasts and conservationists.
College of Architecture, Art and Design
Lourdes Solera
Lourdes Solera received a bachelor’s of architecture from Mississippi State in 1987. After earning her bachelor’s degree, Solera continued her education to receive a master’s of architectural history from the University of Virginia in 1991.
During her time at Mississippi State she learned, “the only way to succeed is to put all your efforts, dedication and energy into identifying the problem then solving it.” And, she’s been practicing that concept in the architecture profession for over two decades. Throughout her career, Solera has focused on the planning and design of educational facilities and historic restoration as she advances the cause of architecture.
Solera is currently a principal architect for MC Harry and Associates in Miami, Florida, a company she joined in 1999. She became a principal architect for the firm in 2012. That same year, Solera was elevated to the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects.
Solera is a past recipient of the prestigious Florida AIA Pullara Award for outstanding service and the AIA Miami Silver Medal Award. Solera also holds the distinction of being a past president of the Miami Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, the first woman to hold the position since the 1940s. She is a past member on the City of Miami Historic Preservation Board and currently sits on the Florida Board of Architects and Interior Design.
Originally from Panama, Solera gratefully acknowledges the impact of her parents. “They always encouraged me to be whatever I wanted to be,” said Solera. “They were able to provide my siblings and me with a loving home where education was our only responsibility. Our success was their success.”
Solera currently resides in Miami, Florida, with her husband, Kristin Mertz, and their three children.
College of Arts and Sciences
Dr. Deborah D. “Debbie” Rabinowitz
Dr. Deborah D. "Debbie" Rabinowitz remembers experiences from her time as a student at Mississippi State University fondly. And, her latest experience as Alumni Fellow for the College of Arts and Sciences is certain to provide even more lasting memories.
Rabinowitz acknowledges “a lot of small experiences merged to form the fabric of my education” at MSU,” and she holds these recollections close. One of her greatest accomplishments was becoming the first woman president of the YMCA her senior year. Another passion for Rabinowitz was her involvement with the MSU debate team. She feels that experience was instrumental to the path of her future career, and she honors that time with an endowment she created for the speech and debate team.
Rabinowitz earned a bachelor’s degree in communication from MSU in 1969, then a master’s degree in social work from Columbia University in 1971. She began her career as a social worker in New York, working at a children’s home with neglected and abused children and then with mentally ill children at a state children’s psychiatric hospital.
Rabinowitz later earned a Ph.D. in counseling psychology from Texas A&M University in 1988. After graduation, she joined Texas A&M as a psychologist, working there for over 25 years until her retirement. At Texas A&M, Rabinowitz taught social work and worked as a student counselor. Of the experience, she said, “I was not a miracle worker; however, I am satisfied that many of the students I worked with were better able to deal with the stresses of life as a result of our interactions.”
A native of Miami, Florida, Rabinowitz resides in Westcliffe, Colorado, with her husband, Philip.
College of Business
Joseph M. “Mike” McIlwain
Joseph M. "Mike" McIlwain gratefully acknowledges Mississippi State for providing him the opportunity to feel challenged and for the growth of his confidence through consistent academic and social achievement.
McIlwain graduated with a bachelor’s of professional accountancy from MSU in 1987, then obtained his master’s in taxation at the University of Alabama in 1988.
McIlwain utilized his degrees as an accountant with both KPMG and Arthur Andersen before becoming the CFO of Motor Coach Industries. In 2009, McIlwain joined PSAV, a company known internationally for setting the standard for event technology services within the hotel, resort and conference center industry. Since 2011, he has served as the company’s president and CEO.
McIlwain’s nearly three-decade career has been recognized by Mississippi State. He was named one of the College of Business’ top 100 alumni for its centennial anniversary in 2015. He also served as a distinguished speaker for a well-known lecture series that began in 1984 and continues to bring many inspirational leaders to campus.
“It floored me to make the top 100 business alumni list, and I had a great deal of pride as I read over the names of many accomplished graduates who were included,” McIlwain said. “My earlier selection as a featured speaker for the Seal series held special meaning because the noteworthy lectureship began when I was enrolled as a student at State.”
Born to Starkville natives, McIlwain grew up in Pahokee, Florida. He now calls Kildeer, Illinois, home with his wife, Susan, and their five children. Their support of MSU makes possible an endowed scholarship honoring Mike’s father, who was also an MSU graduate, and creates an excellence fund, both in the Richard C. Adkerson School of Accountancy.
College of Education
Dr. Di Ann B. Lewis
Dr. Di Ann B. Lewis thanks her husband and children for their support of her commitment to attend MSU full time and receive all three of her degrees in just six years. She graduated Cum Laude with a bachelor’s in special education in 1969, a master’s in educational psychology in 1972, and a Ph.D. in educational psychology in 1974.
Her lifelong devotion to education carries an outstanding resume that spans four decades. Early in her career, she was Director of Special Education, Gifted and Reading with Lafayette County Schools. Later, she joined Mississippi University for Women as an Assistant Professor of Education with a special appointment to the IHL task force to complete the plan for the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science. While at MUW, she was named dean of the Division of Education and Life Sciences.
Lewis is also well known for an eight-year stint as executive director of Gear Up Mississippi, a federally-funded project through the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning. In the role, she was able to influence school leaders, teachers and students. The program served 52 rural Mississippi school districts and was designed to follow students 7th-12th grade.
A native of Borger, Texas, Lewis grew up in Jackson, Mississippi. She is married to fellow MSU alumnus Harvey Lewis, who served as the dean of the university’s College of Business from 1992-1997. The Lewises, who now reside in St. Petersburg, Florida, have upheld more than three decades of consecutive giving to their alma mater. Included in their support are several annual scholarships and an endowed scholarship named for them.
James Worth Bagley College of Engineering
William O. “Billy” Ball Sr.
William O. “Billy” Ball Sr. has enjoyed astounding professional success afforded him because of his MSU education. He feels MSU prepared him for the accomplishments he has achieved as a registered professional engineer in Mississippi. “My electrical engineering degree and co-op job experience provided a great foundation for success,” he explained.
Ball is a 1987 Summa Cum Laude MSU graduate with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. He later received an MBA from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1994.
At MSU, Ball has been honored as a Distinguished Engineering Fellow for the James Worth Bagley College of Engineering. He also serves as a member of the Bagley College’s dean’s advisory council.
Ball feels, “It is very special to be recognized by the Alumni Association and the Bagley College of Engineering as an Alumni Fellow. I am very humbled by the recognition and am thankful for all those that have encouraged and guided me through my life.”
In his professional career, Ball believes his greatest personal accomplishment has been working with others to develop industry solutions that have vastly improved the electric power system. Presently, Ball serves as the executive vice president and chief transmissions officer for Southern Company Transmission. He is actively involved in electric utility industry policy matters and serves on notable national and international boards.
Regarding his greatest accomplishment while attending MSU, Ball said, “Time spent with incoming freshman students and encouraging them through the transition to college.” He fondly recalls his relationships built through the engineering college and the time devoted to Reformed University Fellowship.
Originally from Columbia, Mississippi, Ball and his wife, Cindy, reside in Indian Springs, Alabama, with their four sons.
College of Forest Resources
Steven L. "Steve" Pung
Mississippi State University holds a special connection for Steven L. "Steve" Pung. His college days marked a time for bonding with family.
“Both of my brothers attended State at the same time I was there in my junior and senior years. We roomed in the same dorm, and it made for lots of family memories we still talk about today,” he said.
Pung counts many MSU people as friends and feels the honor of Alumni Fellow is very significant for both he and the university’s students. “I think the most important aspect of this honor will be having the chance to interact with the students who are just beginning their careers and share my experiences with them,” he said.
Pung earned a wood science and technology degree with an industrial engineering concentration from Mississippi State’s College of Forest Resources in 1980. He’s utilized his degree over a 37-year career in the forest products arena.
“Over my career, I’ve kept in contact with several MSU professors that mentored me in my college years, and I’ve maintained both personal and professional relationships that have served me well, time and time again,” Pung said.
Pung began his career with the Masonite Corporation’s technical department in Laurel, Mississippi. From there, he was an industrial engineer with two companies, Desoto Furniture in Jackson, Mississippi, and Eggers Industries in Neenah, Wisconsin. He then worked with Weyerhaeuser Company in Marshfield, Wisconsin, in progressive roles before joining Day Plywood in Cuthbert, Georgia, as an operations manager.
In 1995, Pung joined his current employer—Columbia Forest Products in Greensboro, North Carolina, as a division engineer and served in progressive roles. Since 2005, he has been vice president of technology and innovation. During his nearly four-decade career, Pung feels one of his greatest achievements has been the development and commercialization of a bio-based adhesive system to replace formaldehyde based adhesives in interior composite wood panels.
Pung currently resides in Oak Island, North Carolina, with his wife, Janet.
College of Veterinary Medicine
Dr. Mary “Libby” Coleman Todd
Dr. Mary “Libby” Coleman Todd proudly acknowledges returning to campus as part of the 2017 Alumni Fellows class.
“I embrace every possible opportunity to praise the amazing institution that is Mississippi State, and I am incredibly grateful for another opportunity to sing the praises of my alma mater as an Alumni Fellow,” she said.
Todd recalls fond memories of her time spent at Mississippi State. “My time at MSU is a collection of beautiful pictures and unforgettable memories that create a collage, highlighting some of the happiest times in my life,” she said.
Todd received a bachelor’s degree in dairy science from MSU in 1995 followed by her DVM degree in 1999. She first practiced as a small animal veterinarian and now holds a staff position with Liberty Animal Hospital P.C. in her home town of Birmingham, Alabama. She also has obtained specialized training in the field of grief and bereavement known as thanatology to help clients through difficult times.
Todd is an active member of both the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Alabama Veterinary Medical Association. She feels her greatest professional accomplishment was her selection as an inaugural participant in the Future Leaders Program of the American Veterinary Medical Association. Her peers bestowed this honor upon her in recognition of her leadership, dedication and determination.
In 2014, Todd was named by Veterinary Practice News as one of the “14 Vets to Watch.” Her Alumni Fellow selection definitely enhances her watchability factor.
Todd resides in Vestavia, Alabama, with her husband, John, and their pets.
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