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Alumni in the Spotlight
Outstanding Young Alumni
 At
this year’s engineering and science banquet, four Outstanding
Young Alumni were recognized.
Mike
Apperson (BS ChemE ’86), the Outstanding Young Alumnus
from the academy class of 2004 has established an enviable record
of increasing sales by double digits wherever he was employed. In
his resume, one finds names like Reichhold Chemicals, Dupont, and
Honeywell. As Vice President and General manager at Honeywell, not
only did he generate impressive increases in sales, income, and
operating margins – he had the largest increase in employee
satisfaction of any Honeywell Division in the corporation.
His
latest challenge comes as President and CEO of American Fibers and
Yarns. Since his arrival in 2001, he has lowered AFY’s breakeven
point over 35%, and the new product initiatives he instituted have
grown from 5 to 35% of total sales. He currently serves on the advisory
board for the chemical engineering department here at Clemson.
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From left to right - Mike Apperson, Betsy
Newton Williams, and Christopher E. Bunker
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Christopher
E. Bunker (BS Chemistry ’87) who was named a 2005
Outstanding Young Alumnus has built a strong, viable, and diversified
research program at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). He
serves as the principal investigator on a team of ten AFRL personnel
and collaborators from seven universities including Clemson.
He
takes great pride in the fact that his research projects are accomplished
by student researchers. It is his goal to continue to educate and
train future Ph.D. candidates. His efforts have been recognized
by the Air Force’s Strategic Transformation of the Workforce
for the 21st Century (STW-21) program, which strives to improve
the way the Air Force operates by incorporating university personnel
in the Air Force Research Laboratory workforce.
Betsy
Newton Williams (BS Ag. Eng. ’90; M.S. BioE ’92)
is a 2005 Outstanding Young Alumnae who is making substantial contributions
to the development of pharmaceuticals that impact thousands of patients
in the U.S. and the world.
As
part of the development program to evaluate an investigational drug
for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke, this honoree developed
a proposal and obtained approval for $2.5 million in funding for
Yamanouchi Pharmaceutical Company, Ltd., for a public awareness
and clinical trial awareness campaign to increase awareness of stroke
as an emergency.
She
was involved in the development program for Singulair© for
adult and pediatric asthma and allergic rhinitis, and as the associate
director for clinical research at Sumitomo Pharmaceuticals America,
she is currently responsible for leading US clinical development
programs for compounds used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis
and hyperlipidemia.
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