| Jan. 23, 2012
COPY BY: Rana McDonald, 806-651-2129, rmcdonald@wtamu.edu
Officials to Cut Ribbon on WTAMU’s New Engineering Building Bell Helicopter CEO tabbed as keynote speaker CANYON, Texas—John L. Garrison Jr., president and chief executive officer at Bell Helicopter, will be the keynote speaker when West Texas A&M University cuts the ribbon on its newly renovated Engineering and Computer Science Building at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 31 on campus. Bell Helicopter has been a big proponent and major supporter of WTAMU’s engineering program, and the company’s CEO will address the crowd during the event. Garrison has been with Textron since 2002 and was named Bell Helicopter’s president and chief executive officer in August 2009. During his tenure at Textron, Garrison has served as president of the company’s E-Z-GO business and as president of the industrial segment, which comprises four businesses that manufacture and market branded industrial products worldwide. He served 10 years of active duty in the U.S. Army as an Airborne Ranger, commanding an 8-inch artillery battery in  the Republic of Korea. He also taught in the Department of Social Sciences at the United States Military Academy. Garrison earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering from the United States Military Academy and a master’s degree in business administration from Harvard University. He also has completed Textron’s Global Leadership program at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and is a member of Textron’s Executive Leadership Team. Although the building opened for classes a few weeks ago, University officials, dignitaries and special guests will ceremoniously cut the ribbon to mark the completion of the Phase I, first-floor renovation of the former old Ag/Nursing Building. The University launched its engineering program in 2003 with mechanical engineering and added civil engineering in 2010. Officials are now waiting for approval from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for a bachelor’s degree program in environmental engineering. The ever-increasing enrollment of the program prompted the renovation to provide much needed space for the department now and in the future. The renovated facility houses laboratories, smart classrooms and faculty offices. Many of the classrooms and laboratories have been named by local businesses. Named labs include the Bell Helicopter Engineering Laboratory and the Brown Consulting Engineers, Inc. Thermal and Fluids Laboratory while named classrooms include the Education Credit Union Classroom and the McCoy Myers and Associates Classroom. These named classrooms feature upgraded furniture and equipment thanks to the generosity of the donor. Refreshments and tours of the building will be available immediately following the ribbon-cutting ceremony. For information about where to park on campus during the event, please call 806-651-1990.
—WTAMU— | 