JAMES “RED” JONES
MELISSA GARNER AND GARY L AUGHLIN
HEINZ SCHMIT T
Gary Laughlin, an OSU alumnus than 9,600 regular employees. Long and with a 1984 bachelor’s and 1986 master’s successful careers at all levels have become in mechanical engineering, is deputy a trend among OSU alumni at Sandia. of the systems assessment and research Many people have worked to strengthen center and head of the OSU recruiting the ongoing relationship between the two team. Over his 27 years at Sandia, he institutions, resulting in stronger recruiting has noticed many similarities between and research partnerships. the two organizations, beginning with James “Red” Jones, who has a 1984 their missions. In 1890, Oklahoma A&M bachelor’s and 1987 master’s in mechaniCollege was established to fulfill the cal engineering from OSU, is a distinland-grant mission of providing a pracguished member of the technical staff with tical education to benefit the public. In almost 27 years at Sandia. He is on the organization’s OSU recruiting team, which 1949, President Harry Truman challenged Sandia to “render an exceptional service gives him insight into why Cowboys and in the national interest.” Cowgirls make such good hires. “Both institutions are founded in “One of the things that I see at service to the community and to the Oklahoma State that is not always typical nation,” Laughlin says. “There is also at universities is an emphasis, even at the a strong loyalty and patriotic spirit in undergraduate level, on student collaboration,” Jones says. “Big engineering and big people from both institutions, so culturally I think the two align very well.” science are about working well with other Bruce Nguyen, a 2006 business and people. At OSU, you help each other out international business and 2009 MBA OSU even though you’re competing for a grade. alumnus, agrees, adding that there is a On the job, you’re competing for raises special bond among Sandia’s OSU alumni. or bonuses, but it’s more important to “We are a community within a collaborate and succeed on the project or community ourselves,” says the senior program you’re working on.” strategic contracting representative. OSU President Burns Hargis and “When you get here you kind of learn Paul Tikalsky, dean of the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology, a whole new language. You talk about where you work at Sandia by just giving visited Sandia’s headquarters in August. a certain five-digit code. You can under“We want to thank Sandia for all that it stand so much about each other and start does for OSU,” Hargis says. “Our organizahaving a connection.” tions have collaborated on several research Ben Fine, a 2003 mechanical engiprojects, and Sandia actively recruits from neering OSU graduate, points to another three OSU colleges and 11 majors.” reason OSU alumni stay with Sandia: Walker and Schmitt say OSU’s practhe flexibility to change jobs within the tical education prepares graduates for immediate success in the workplace.
BRUCE WALKER
organization. The satellite systems engineer was hired to work on satellite test systems and soon discovered a passion for software engineering. “So I worked on database systems a nd supervisory control software applications,” Fine says. “I loved doing that work, so I adjusted my career trajectory to incorporate more software engineering responsibilities along with my systems engineering responsibilities. I’ve been able to branch out and get my fingers into all kinds of things.” Walker notes that the organization’s broad range of projects includes defense systems and assessments; energy, climate and infrastructure security; and international, homeland and nuclear security. “If you want to do something completely different in an area of nonproliferation, energy research or international programs, you can move within the company,” Walker says. “You don’t have to quit, sell your home, move across the country and go work for another company to do something significantly different.” Sandia employees enjoy that flexibility, but they consistently cite the organization’s mission as the No. 1 reason for their job satisfaction. “We’re helping with national security,” Jones says. “What we’re doing matters to the country.” Walker adds, “In my career, I’ve been able to make contributions to national security that I will remember when I’m 80 or 90 years old. I feel a level of fulfillment that I would not have felt anywhere else.” JAC O B L O N G A N
To watch a video feature about the ties between OSU and Sandia, visit OSUgiving.com/Sandia.
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