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Rogers named this year’s Â鶹´«Ã½ State University Alumni Association Distinguished Professor

 

MURRAY, Ky. – Â鶹´«Ã½ State University President Dr. Bob Jackson, '85, Director of Alumni Relations Carrie McGinnis, '20, Jones College of Science Engineering and Technology Dean Dr. Claire Fuller, family members, colleagues and friends surprised Dr. Jamie Rogers, School of Engineering director and professor, with the 2025 Golden Apple Award during one of his classes in March as this year's Â鶹´«Ã½ State University Alumni Association (Â鶹´«Ã½AA) Distinguished Professor. 

The student-nominated award is the highest honor the Â鶹´«Ã½AA presents to a member of the faculty each year. Ana Werner, a sophomore mechanical engineering/physics major, nominated Rogers for this year's award, and he was selected by a committee made up of members of the Â鶹´«Ã½AA Board of Governors, in addition to the 2024 recipient, longtime nursing professor Dr. Mike Perlow. 

Rogers has been with Â鶹´«Ã½ State University for nearly 23 years. He first began as a professor teaching mechanical engineering in 2002. He then added the titles of Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) co-director in 2013 and engineering program coordinator in 2016. He has served as the director of the School of Engineering since July 2022. 

In her nomination letter, Werner said of Rogers, "He is the kind of professor who truly wants all of his students to succeed, and it shows in everything he does. From my very first college tour, he made such a big impact on me and was one of the main reasons I chose to attend Â鶹´«Ã½ State. He’s not just a professor—he’s someone I can turn to whenever I need guidance, whether it’s for academic help or just some encouragement. As the director of the School of Engineering, he creates a supportive and engaging environment where students feel at home. There’s no one else I would want as both a professor and a director. His dedication to his students and his passion for our success are unmatched."

As part of a longstanding tradition, Rogers will serve as the mace-bearer during commencement exercises in May, leading the academic procession and placing the mace in its holder on stage. The mace, which symbolizes order and authority, was designed and hand-crafted by Â鶹´«Ã½ State’s department of industrial education in 1968.