The St. Pat’s Board at Missouri S&T has announced that John Gallagher will serve as Honorary St. Patrick and parade marshal for the 2024 St. Pat’s Parade at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 16, in downtown Rolla.

The Board also announced the 2024 Honorary Knights of St. Patrick. This year’s Honorary Knights are Wayne Beasley, Dr. Larry Gragg, Brad Hornburg, Rachel Jung, Mike McEvilly, Dr. Rachel Morris, Dr. Francisca Oboh-Ikuenobe and Josh Stacy.

The eight Honorary Knights will be honored during a coronation ceremony at 9 p.m. Friday, March 15, at Leach Theatre in Castleman Hall, located at 403 W. 10^th St. in Rolla. They will also participate in the St. Pat’s Parade.

Biographical details on this year’s honorees are provided below.

Honorary St. Pat John Gallagher

John Gallagher of Rolla, Missouri, is the interim assistant vice chancellor of student affairs at Missouri S&T. He joined the university in 2014, working in student involvement and student affairs. He was named an honorary knight in 2018.

“Since I’ve arrived in Rolla the St. Pat’s Celebration has provided opportunities for me to participate in a vibrant tradition with dedication to continuous improvement,” Gallagher says. “The leaders I’ve worked with have challenged me to improve with them as they present the Best Ever.”

Gallagher earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and communications from Alvernia College in 2000 and a master’s degree in instructional systems from The Pennsylvania State University in 2007. He is currently working on a Ph.D. in educational leadership and policy analysis at the University of Missouri.

Gallagher and his wife, Kristen Snyder Gallagher, have two children, Angelina and Charles.

2024 Honorary Knights

Honorary Knight Wayne Beasley

Wayne Beasley of Rolla, Missouri, is a pilot for American Airlines. He earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Missouri S&T in 1985, and a master’s degree in management from Webster University in 1996. After graduating from S&T, Beasley served as an officer in the United States Air Force from 1985 to 2012.

He is a member of the Missouri S&T Board of Trustees, the Order of the Golden Shillelagh, the Chancellor’s Greek Advisory Committee, and a chapter advisor to the Sigma Nu fraternity.

Wayne and his wife, Kay Beasley, have two sons, Matthew and Patrick.

Honorary Knight Larry Gragg

Dr. Larry Gragg of Rolla, Missouri, is Curators’ Distinguished Teaching Professor Emeritus of history and university historian at Missouri S&T. He earned a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s degree in history in 1972 and 1973, respectively, from Southwest Missouri State University. He joined the Missouri S&T history faculty in 1977. Gragg earned a Ph.D. in history from the University of Missouri in 1978. 

During his time as a history professor, Gragg also served as chair of S&T’s history and political science department and was the founding chair of the Center for Advancing Faculty Excellence. He is the author of “Forged in Gold: Missouri S&T’s First 150 Years.”

Gragg was named a Curators’ Distinguished Teaching Professor in 2004, and received the Missouri Governor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, the University of Missouri President’s Award for Outstanding Teaching, the University of Missouri Thomas Jefferson Award, and the University of Missouri Curators’ Award for Scholarly Excellence, among others.  

Gragg and his wife, Doris Gragg, have one child, Julie.

Honorary Knight Brad Hornburg

Brad Hornburg of St. Louis, Missouri, is the CEO of Brad Hornburg Consulting, formerly Landmark Contract Management, Inc. He earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Missouri S&T in 1969.

Hornburg served on the St. Pat’s Board in 1966. He is a member of Missouri S&T’s Academy of Civil Engineers. He has previously received the Robert V. Wolf Alumni Service Award from Missouri S&T, and the Distinguished Service Award from Theta Xi.

Hornburg and his wife, Constance Hornburg, have seven children, Todd, Shari, Kate, John, Jennifer, Jay and Lauren, as well as 12 grandchildren.

Honorary Knight Rachel Jung

Rachel Jung of Rolla, Missouri, is the director of strategic partnerships and technology operations for Brewer Science. She earned a master’s degree in business administration from Missouri S&T in 2009.

Jung has been on the board of directors for the Miner Alumni Association since 2014 and currently serves as vice president and engagement committee chair. She is on the advisory board for S&T’s business and information technology department and served as an adjunct instructor for the department in spring 2023.

Rachel and her husband, Steven Jung, also an S&T alumnus, have two children, Benjamin and Barrett.

Honorary Knight Mike McEvilly

Michael McEvilly of Spring, Texas, is the vice president of fabrication at Morrison Energy. He earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and a master’s degree in engineering management, both from Missouri S&T, in 1980 and 1981, respectively.

McEvilly has had a successful career in the oil and gas sector, including working on two mega-deepwater offshore development projects that received the Distinguished Achievement Award from the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston. He is a member of the Missouri S&T Board of Trustees and the Academy of Engineering Management and a past president of the Miner Alumni Association. McEvilly is the president-elect of Tau Kappa Epsilon International Fraternity.

McEvilly and his wife, Mary McEvilly, have two children, Melissa and Michael, and four grandchildren, Timothy, Margaret, Abigail and August.

Honorary Knight Rachel Morris

Dr. Rachel Morris of Rolla, Missouri, is the director of institutional research at Missouri S&T. She earned a bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics from S&T in 1996 and joined the university as a staff member in enrollment management in 1998. She earned a master’s degree in adult and higher education from the University of Missouri-St. Louis in 2015, and a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Missouri in 2022.

Morris received S&T’s Inspirational Woman Award in 2011 and the Alumna of the Year Silver Award in 2012. She holds a master’s degree in adult and higher education from the University of Missouri-St. Louis and a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Morris and her husband, Darren Morris, have two children, Sabrina (married to Trent Mahaney) and Seth (engaged to Haley Hampton), and one grandchild, Eliana, with another grandchild on the way.

Honorary Knight Francisca Oboh-Ikuenobe

Dr. Francisca Oboh-Ikuenobe of Rolla, Missouri, professor of geology and biological sciences and associate dean for academic affairs for the College of Engineering and Computing, joined the Missouri S&T faculty in 1991. Her previous roles include interim chair of geosciences and geological and petroleum engineering, and program head of geology and geophysics.

Oboh-Ikuenobe holds a Ph.D. in geology from the University of Cambridge, a master’s degree in applied geology and a bachelor’s degree in geology, both from the University of Ife, Nigeria (renamed Obafemi Awolowo University). She has served on the National Science Foundation’s Advisory Board for Geosciences since 2022, and is a fellow of the Geological Society of America, the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Paleontological Society. In 2023 she was awarded the Medal for Excellence in Education by AASP-The Palynological Society, of which she is a past president.

In her time at Missouri S&T, Oboh-Ikuenobe has won multiple Faculty Excellence Awards and Outstanding Teaching Awards. She was named Missouri S&T’s Woman of the Year in 2004, received the Outstanding Student Advocate Award in 2011, and was inducted into the university’s Women’s Hall of Fame in 2022.

Oboh-Ikuenobe and her husband, Dr. Thomas Ikuenobe, have three children, Ordia, Aita and Ami.

Honorary Knight Josh Stacy

Josh Stacy of Rolla, Missouri, is the founder and CEO of Public House Brewing Company. A graduate of Rolla High School, he worked with the University of Missouri Extension office in developing and launching the brewery, which opened in 2010.

Public House Brewing Company has won medals for its beers in both national and international competitions. The brewery has had a close relationship with the St. Pat’s Board since its founding, with several former St. Pat’s Board members becoming valued members of the Public House team.

Stacy has served as a guest lecturer for courses at Missouri S&T and has collaborated with students and faculty on class projects in entrepreneurship, engineering, manufacturing and management. Stacy is also a member of the board of directors of the Missouri Craft Brewers Guild and serves as a mentor to brewery owners and entrepreneurs.

Stacy and his wife, Beth Stacy, have two children, Flynn and Nora.

About Missouri University of Science and Technology

Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) is a STEM-focused research university of over 7,000 students located in Rolla, Missouri. Part of the four-campus University of Missouri System, Missouri S&T offers over 100 degrees in 40 areas of study and is among the nation’s top public universities for salary impact, according to the Wall Street Journal. For more information about Missouri S&T, visit www.mst.edu.