Ralph E. Powe

vice president

Powe

Ralph E. Powe ('67, M.S. '68), vice president for research at Mississippi State, died Nov. 28 after a lengthy illness. He was 53.

A native of Tylertown, Powe became vice president for research at Mississippi State in 1986. He earned undergraduate and master's degrees in mechanical engineering from Mississippi State in 1967 and 1968, respectively, and a Ph.D. from Montana State University in 1970.

"Mississippi State University has lost one of its superstars," said President Donald Zacharias. "Ralph Powe worked with faculty, students and administrators to play a leading role in shaping the greatest advancement of Mississippi State's research achievements in its history."

From 1970-74, Powe served as assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Montana State, returning to Mississippi State in 1974 as associate professor. From that point, he held successively more responsible positions. He became associate dean of engineering in 1979, associate vice president for research in 1980, and acting vice president for graduate studies and research in 1985. He was named vice president for research the following year.

Under Powe's leadership, research contracts and grants at Mississippi State continued to grow, with the university ranked by the National Science Foundation among the top 100 institutions nationally in research and development funding.

In 1986, Powe was instrumental in forming the Mississippi Research Consortium, a collaboration of four state universities working to promote research and economic opportunities in the state. He served since its founding as chair of the group, which includes Mississippi State, the University of Mississippi, the University of Southern Mississippi, and Jackson State University.

Through the consortium, Mississippi became one of 19 states receiving federal funding for the Experimental Program to Establish Competitive Research (EPSCoR). The program has generated more than $10 million in research funds from 1989 to the present. From 1994-96, Powe headed the Coalition of EPSCoR States, the management group that serves as an advisory body for state EPSCoR programs.