College of Engineering Alumni Awards 2023

College of Engineering alumni, faculty, staff and guests gathered Saturday, April 15, to induct two new members into the college’s Hall of Fame and recognize 18 graduates with Distinguished Alumni and Early Career Alumni awards.

The formal event featured dinner and an awards ceremony led by Dean Kim Needy and co-hosts Pam McGinnis and Becca Leonard, with remarks by Terry Martin, provost and executive vice chancellor for academics, at the Fayetteville Public Library Event Center. McGinnis is chair of the college’s Dean’s Advisory Council and Leonard is chair of the Early Career Advisory Council.

Inductees from the Department of Industrial Engineering

Pam McGinnis, Hall of Fame

Pam McGinnis is retired from her position as the vice president of global sales, marketing and retail operations at Phillips 66. She worked for more than 31 years in the oil and gas industry. Prior to assuming her role as vice president, Pam was chief procurement officer and held a variety of leadership positions across Phillips 66, including commercial supply and trading, marine shipping and truck and rail transportation. After joining Conoco in 1991 through the Pipeline and Transportation Management program, she held positions in operations and maintenance engineering, capital project management, business development, marketing and corporate planning. Pam is the Chair of the University of Arkansas College of Engineering Dean’s Advisory Council. Prior to her retirement, she served on the Boards of the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering and the Fuels Institute. She was a member of the executive Inclusion and Diversity Council and served as a global sponsor for the Phillips 66 Hispanic Network. Pam also served as chairman of the board for the Houston Area Habitat for Humanity. A native of Springdale, Pam earned a Bachelor of Science in industrial engineering from the University of Arkansas in 1990. Pam and her wife, Carissa, have two children and live in Houston, Texas.

Jeff Fackler, Distinguished Alumni

Jeff Fackler graduated with a Bachelor of Science in engineering at the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, in 1985. He was commissioned as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army infantry branch. He graduated Airborne and Ranger schools and served active duty in the 3rd Infantry and the 10th Mountain divisions. Jeff joined Walmart Stores in the supply chain division in 1991. During nearly 30 years with Walmart, he worked in field and leadership positions in every discipline in supply chain operations. He was a facility general manager in Arkansas, Ohio and Illinois. He served as divisional vice president of distribution operations; e-commerce; transportation; Sam’s Club; as well as vice president of international operations for supply chain across 26 countries. Jeff completed his Master of Science in operations management at the U of A in 2013 while working full time in his leadership roles. Jeff has been married to the love of his life, Julie, for 37 years. Their daughter, Chloe, is a graduate of the University of Arkansas School of Law and a practicing attorney. Their son is a University of South Carolina Doctor of Pharmacy graduate and a clinical pharmacist.

Karen Jewell, Distinguished Alumni

Karen Jewell, who earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering in 2000, has had an impactful career in the transportation, consumer packaged goods and technology industries. After graduating from the University of Arkansas, she began her career as a logistics engineer at J.B. Hunt Transport Inc. in Lowell. She spent seven years at J.B. Hunt in various engineering roles focused on continuous improvement and value-creation. Seeking to learn more about consumers, she focused her attention for five years in the consumer-packaged goods industry, working for Nielsen, where she supported large retailers in Northwest Arkansas. In 2012, she rejoined J.B. Hunt as a senior manager of engineering and technology. Over the last 10 years, she has held various leadership positions within engineering and technology, most recently as senior vice president, where she has been integral to bringing the J.B. Hunt 360 Platform to market. She was inducted into the Arkansas Academy of Industrial Engineers in 2015 and served as president in 2020. She also serves on the Industrial Engineering Liaison Committee. She continues to support industrial engineering students through her time and gifts to the endowment program. Jewell lives in Fayetteville with her husband, Joel, and son, Christian.

Christopher Adkins, Early Career

Christopher Adkins is the vice president of yield strategy and analytics at ArcBest. With over 10 years of experience, he leads the team responsible for guiding ArcBest’s strategic yield initiatives, with the goal of optimizing for profitable growth while delighting customers. During this time, Christopher has led several high-impact, strategic initiatives that have played a significant role in ArcBest becoming a $5 billion logistics company. Christopher attributes his success to the exceptional education and relationships gained while attending the University of Arkansas. Since graduating with a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering, he has remained connected to the university by recruiting students and supporting the industrial engineering capstone course. Christopher maintains a faith- and family-first approach to life and enjoys serving his community. He and his wife, Erin, live in Fort Smith with their daughters Dorothy and Genevieve.

Christopher P. Velardi, Early Career

Christopher Velardi is a principal chief engineer at Lockheed Martin in Moorestown, New Jersey, providing advanced and highly integrated defense systems to the U.S. government and allies. He is the recipient of 22 professional accolades, including the corporation’s highest Nova Award, U.S. Navy Vice Admiral’s Letter of Commendation, the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance New Jersey Reception of Champions, and multiple Business Unit Evening of Excellence celebrations. He started his career in software development leading to successive projects containing ever-increasing multi-discipline engineering, production and deployment efforts across the globe. He holds degrees in computer science, engineering management, and the most important, a Master of Science in operations management from the University of Arkansas. He dedicates all of his accomplishments to his wife, Chrissy, who has blessed him with two incredible daughters and supported him throughout his career.

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