November 8, 2007

The College of Engineering at NC State Names Outstanding Alumni

Bryan

Day

Hunter

The College of Engineering at North Carolina State University has named the Distinguished Engineering Alumnus award winners for 2007. The recipients are Raymond A. Bryan Jr. of Goldsboro; Wayne T. Day of Potomac, Md.; and F. Neal Hunter of Durham.

The awards were presented by Dr. Louis A. Martin-Vega, dean of the College of Engineering, at a banquet held November 8 at the Capital City Club in Raleigh. The award honors alumni whose accomplishments further their field and reflect favorably on the university.

Bryan received his bachelor’s degree in construction from NC State University in 1953. He is chairman of T.A. Loving Company, known for its highly visible and beautiful construction projects on NC State University’s campus, including the Park Alumni Center and the Wendell H. Murphy Football Center. In addition to running a successful business, Bryan has a long history of dedication to education, having served on the Board of Trustees for Campbell University and the Board of Trustees for the Independent College Fund of North Carolina.

Bryan is a past president of the Wolfpack Club, a past College of Engineering Dean’s Council member, a former director of the NC State Engineering Foundation Board, a lifetime Alumni Association member, and a Peele Lifetime Giving Society member. He has served as president of the Wayne County Boys and Girls Club, and he was named a James E. West Fellow for his contributions to the Boy Scouts. A Korean War veteran, he served in the US Army from 1954-55.

Day received his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from NC State University in 1965. He began a 36-year career at John J. Kirlin, Inc., a Rockville, Md., mechanical contracting business, in 1970 and served as president and CEO of the company from 1984 until his retirement in 2006. Under his leadership, Kirlin grew tenfold and opened offices in Baltimore, Md.; Raleigh; Columbia, S.C.; and in Tampa, Orlando and Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Notable projects include the White House, U.S. Capitol, Supreme Court and the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. The company was honored with a contract to help restore the Pentagon following the 9/11 attack.

Day served on the board of the Mechanical Contractors of America and was its president in 1998. He is a Holladay Lifetime Giving Society member, a Frank Seely Society member, and a lifetime Alumni Association member. The football field at Carter-Finley Stadium was named the Wayne T. Day Family Field in recognition of his generous support of the university.

Hunter earned his bachelors degree in mechanical engineering from NC State University in 1984. He is a co-founder and former President, CEO and Chairman of Cree, Inc. Hunter held numerous roles at Cree from 1987-2005. During this time, the company’s revenues grew from 0 to $400 million. In 2005, Hunter co-founded LED Lighting Fixtures, Inc. (LLF, Inc.) to accelerate the use of LEDs in general illumination applications. LLF has since set world records for LED fixture efficiency and CRI at warm white color temperatures. Funded by employees, suppliers and distributors, LLF’s goal is to bring economical high volume LED lighting solutions to world markets.

Hunter also develops residential neighborhoods using custom builders, giving him a unique perspective for applications of LED technology in homes. He is an active supporter of UNC Hospitals, North Carolina State University, the Food Bank of NC and the University of California at Santa Barbara. He is a Peele Lifetime Giving Society member and has established an endowment for unrestricted general support for the College of Engineering.

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