Dr. John F. Carney III, former chancellor of Missouri University of Science and Technology, will receive the university’s Chancellor Medal during commencement ceremonies Saturday, May 5, at the Gale Bullman Multi-Purpose Building in Rolla.

The Chancellor Medal is given to individuals who have contributed to the well-being, growth and development of the university.

Carney became chancellor at Missouri S&T in 2005 and stepped down in 2011. He led the university through a series of changes, including a name change to strengthen the university’s reputation, a renewed emphasis on energy and environmental research and education, and an emphasis on gaining more private support.

Carney presided over Missouri S&T’s Advancing Excellence fundraising campaign, which resulted in $211.8 million in private funds for scholarships, faculty and program support, facilities and equipment, and corporate funding for research. The campaign surpassed its goal of $200 million during a downturn in the country’s economy.

Missouri S&T initiated or completed several major projects during Carney’s tenure – all benefiting from private funds during a time of declining state support. Those projects include the construction and renovation of Toomey Hall, the campus’s mechanical and aerospace engineering complex; the completion of the first building of Innovation Park, the university’s research park; construction of the Miner Dome Indoor Practice Facility for athletics; construction of a new fitness center and varsity weight and cardiovascular training rooms; and construction of the Kummer Student Design Center.

Carney also secured private funding and bond financing for James E. Bertelsmeyer Hall, which will house the chemical and biological engineering programs. The building is expected to be completed in 2014.

One of Carney’s first initiatives as chancellor involved the restructuring of the campus’s academic organization from a traditional structure of schools and colleges to one that encourages more collaboration among departments.

A native of Massachusetts and a civil engineer by profession, Carney received his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering in 1963 from Merrimack College in North Andover, Mass., and a master’s degree (1964) and Ph.D. (1966) in civil engineering from Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill.

Prior to becoming chancellor at Missouri S&T, Carney served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Mass. Previously, he also served in faculty and administrative positions at the University of Connecticut, Auburn University and Vanderbilt University.

Carney is most recognized in the research community for his work in the area of impact mechanics. He holds 10 patents. One of his projects was included in the publication “Technology Transfer Works: 100 Innovations from Academic Research to Real-World Application.”