Three engineering management professionals were honored by the University of Missouri-Rolla when they were inducted into UMR’s Academy of Engineering Management Thursday, Oct. 19, at Zeno’s Steakhouse in Rolla.

The academy, established at UMR in 2004, is an advisory group to the UMR engineering management department. The three members were selected based on input from a faculty committee and a group of four founding members.

“We want our members to be strongly committed to the department and outstanding role models for our students,” says Dr. William Daughton, chair of the engineering management department at UMR.

Inducted were:

• Phillip Colombatto of St. Louis, vice-president for the Quality Assurance Division of Anheuser-Busch Inc. Colombatto received a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering and a master of science degree in engineering management from UMR in 1971 and 1976, respectively. Prior to joining Anheuser-Busch, he worked two years as an engineering systems analyst for the Los Angeles County Flood Control District. He began his career with Anheuser-Busch as a management research analyst for the Management Systems Division. He then joined the brewing department and held various positions of increasing responsibility, including senior brewmaster of the St. Louis Brewery. Colombatto’s current duties include developing and executing Anheuser-Busch quality programs and standards for U.S. and international beer operations and direct management of the corporate quality assurance department and the quality assurance departments of the Anheuser-Busch U.S. breweries.
• Terry D. McCallister of Alexandria, Va., president and chief operating officer of WGL Holdings Inc., the parent company of Washington Gas. McCallister received a bachelor of science degree in engineering management from UMR in 1978. His current responsibilities include all aspects of the regulated utility, from business development to rates and gas acquisition. He also serves on the board of directors for several wholly owned subsidiaries of WGL Holdings Inc.
• Dr. Gregory A. Sedrick of Hixson, Tenn., program director of engineering management and professor of industrial and information engineering at the University of Tennessee. Sedrick received bachelor of science and Ph.D. degrees in engineering management from UMR in 1982 and 1990, respectively. He also earned a master of science degree in systems management from the Florida Institute of Technology and an electronics and electrical professional certificate from the O’Fallon Technology Center in St. Louis. Sedrick is also the founder and executive director of the New Economy Institute, a regional economic development organization.