College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences: 2010 Distinguished Alumnus

Office of College Advancement » Distinguished Alumnus

Since 1990, the college has annually recognized a graduate who has brought honor to its programs with his or her accomplishments in research, business, education and public service.

PAMS honors Lawrence Ives as 2010 Distinguished Alumnus

Lawrence Ives (BS ’73, MS ’76, PhD ‘84 Physics) was selected as the College’s 2010 Distinguished Alumnus. Established in 1990, the PAMS Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes alumni whose exceptional achievements in business, education, research or public service have brought honor and distinction to PAMS and NC State.

Ives first came to NC State as a freshman in the late 1960s. It was a tumultuous time on our campus, like many others across the country. But for a young man from Beaufort, North Carolina, it was a renaissance – a chance to learn about a broad array of topics both inside and outside the classroom.

During his years on campus, Ives made sure to experience everything else that student life had to offer. He got involved with the anti-war and civil rights movements. He went to nearly every home football and men’s basketball game. He served as vice president and president of the Graduate Student Association. He worked as a teaching assistant and later worked as a part-time electronics technician in the Department of Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, participating in oceanographic research on North Carolina’s coasts and estuaries.

After receiving his PhD in plasma physics, Ives left Raleigh for Palo Alto, California, and a position with Varian Associates developing radio frequency sources for applications in research, defense and industry. He was later promoted to manager of Varian’s High-Power Klystron Department, which established the most advanced computer-analysis system in the microwave tube industry.

In 1994, Ives established Calabazas Creek Research, which has become internationally recognized as a leader in the development of advanced, innovative technologies for the high-power RF community. He continues to serve as president of the company, which specializes in very high-power microwave and millimeter-wave sources and components for research in high-energy physics, fusion energy development, and advanced defense systems.

Ives has served two full terms on the PAMS Foundation Board. He has hosted an NC State alumni event in his home in the San Francisco Bay area. He has endowed a scholarship in PAMS and has established a bequest in his will that will add to that endowment. He continues to be engaged with the Department of Physics through research partnerships and as a member of its advisory board. He also has strong relationships with the Department of Mathematics and the Center for Research in Scientific Computation.

“Two things haven’t changed since Lawrence left Raleigh for the West Coast,” noted PAMS Dean Dan Solomon. “He’s still the same renaissance man he was as an undergrad, dabbling in everything from sailing to wine making and, even after 25 years, his relationship with his alma mater continues to grow and evolve.”

Ives was recently quoted in a university publication as saying, “My professional success would not have been achieved without the education I received at NCSU. I will be eternally grateful for the experiences and education provided by the university.”

Previous Award Recipients
(Affiliations listed are as of the date the award was received)

2009 Cathy Sigal
BS '76 - Chemistry. Director of International Research, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (retired).

2008 LeRoy Martin
MS '52 - Mathematics. Professor Emeritus, Department of Mathematics, NC State University.

2007 Jun Zhu
PhD '89 - Statistics. Vice President, Zhejiang University.

2006 W. Donald "Don" Johnson
BS '69 - Applied Mathematics (also MS and PhD from College of Engineering). Chairman and Representative Director, DuPont - Japan.

2005 Robert L. Bryant
BS '74 - Mathematics. J.M. Kreps Professor of Mathematics at Duke University.

2004 J. Stuart "Stu" Hunter
PhD '54 - Experimental Statistics. Professor Emeritus, Princeton University, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

2003 Christine Hemrick
BS '74 - Mathematics. Vice President for technology policy and consulting engineering for Cisco Systems, Inc.

2002 Eric Doggett
BS '89 - Physics. Serves on the board of directors for the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association and on the board of advisors for the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce.

2001 Eric Bigham
BS '69 - Chemistry. Research Investigator, GlaxoSmithKline

2000 Robert M. Steinberg
BS '64 - Applied Mathematics. Vice Chairman of Reliance Group Holdings, Inc.

1999 Suzanne Gordon
BS '75 - Mathematics, Computer Science, MS Statistics, Director of Management Information Systems at SAS Institute. Member of NC State Board of Trustees.

1998 David F. Bocian
BS '72 - Chemistry. Distinguished research in biophysical, physical-organic and materials chemistry. Professor at the University of California at Riverside.

1997 James W. York, Jr .
BS '62 - Physics. Agnew H. Bahnson Jr. Professor of Physics at UNC-Chapel Hill.

1996 W. Michael Peirson
PhD '83 - Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. Established Cherrystone AquaFarms in eastern Virginia.

1995 Anthony J. Barr
BS '62, MS '68 - Physics. Founder and major developer of the Statistical Analysis System from 1966-72; along with three others, formed SAS Institute Inc., in 1976; founded Barr Systems in Florida in 1978.

1994 William Mendenhall III
PhD '75 - Experimental Statistics. Started the University of Florida's Department of Statistics in 1963; prolific textbook writer.

1993 Jacob C. Belin, Jr
BS '70 - Applied Mathematics. President of Kern Oil & Refining Company in California.

1992 John E. Bercaw
BS '72 - Chemistry. Professor, California Institute of Technology; member, National Academy of Sciences.

1991 Charles D. Case
BS '72 - Physics. Environmental attorney and active community citizen.

1990 James H. Goodnight
BS '65, MS '68, PhD '72 - Statistics. Founder and CEO of SAS Institute, Inc.