Dr. Alexander and Dean Brown at the NC State "Evening With the Stars" Gala - January 2011
NEWS RELEASE
The College of Natural Resources at North Carolina State University is pleased to announce the selection of our 2010 Distinguished Alumnus -Dr. Ernie Alexander.
Dr. Alexander ’67, ’72, combined an undergraduate degree in pulp and paper technology with a PhD in chemical engineering to build a successful career in the forest products industry. After completing his doctorate, Dr. Alexander joined Westvaco, a leading paper, packaging and specialty chemicals corporation, as a research engineer. After seven years, he was transferred to Covington Mill as supervisor of the newly formed paper process group. Dr. Alexander spent 23 years at Covington Mill, taking on positions of increasing responsibility, including technical director, pulp mill superintendent and pulping expansion manager.
After the merger of Westvaco and Mead Corporation in 2002, Dr. Alexander joined the company’s corporate engineering department, which was relocated to NC State’s Centennial Campus in 2006.
There, he led a team of production superintendents from all MeadWestvaco Mills to handle property conservation and operational improvements. Specifically, Dr. Alexander supervised major capital improvement projects at plants in Texas and South Carolina.
Dr. Alexander retired in 2009 and launched his own consulting firm to provide valuable advice to forest products companies, including his former employer, MeadWestvaco.
Throughout his career, Dr. Alexander has been a strong supporter of the NC State College of Natural Resources. Following his retirement from MeadWestvaco he became a volunteer employee in the College’s development office assisting with industry and foundation relations, student mentoring and fundraising.
Understanding the importance of donors to the university’s future, Dr. Alexander and his wife Beverly established the Ernie and Beverly Alexander Endowed Scholarship in Paper Science and Engineering at NC State.
Dr. Alexander accepted the distinguished alumnus honor on January 29, 2011 at the NC State University Alumni Association’s “Evening of Stars” Gala in Raleigh. He lives in Cary, NC with his wife, Beverly.
See a complete list of previous honorees
For more information contact Tilla Fearn at (919) 513-4644 or tilla_fearn@ncsu.edu