Pillars
Cut Right From the Same Cloth The males in the Cutright family are cut right from the same cloth. They are dedicated to hard work and are committed to education. Being stitched from the same cloth, they also share something else in common – their names. Ervin Pernell “E.J.” Cutright II, a McNeese mechanical engineering graduate, is the namesake of his father, Ervin Pernell Cutright. E.J.’s brothers are Ervin Pernell “P.J.” Cutright III and Ervin Pernell “C.J.” Cutright IV. The middle name of Pernell came from Pernell Roberts, the actor who played Adam Cartwright on the series, Bonanza. E.J.’s grandmother was a Bonanza fan. E.J.’s father is a 1989 McNeese mechanical engineering graduate who lives in Palmer, Alaska, with his wife, Chavonne. E.J.’s mother, Stephanie Lehr, is a 1990 McNeese mathematics graduate who lives in Labadieville. His sister, Mary Cutright, is currently at McNeese working on a degree in chemistry.
McNeese President Dr. Philip Williams, left, presents Ervin Cutright with a Certificate of Excellence for his presentation on “Road-tire Noise and Sound Absorption Properties of Ash Roadways” at the 7th Annual Undergraduate Scholar and Research Symposium. This event, sponsored by the Alumni Association, recognized 24 students from departments across campus for their undergraduate research.
Scholars Award ceremony for his research, “Road-tire Noise and Sound Absorption Properties of Ash Roadways,” working with Dr. Zhuang Li, assistant professor of mechanical engineering.
Halloween 2012 - Alex Saucier, electrical engineering, Jacob France, mechanical engineering, and Ervin Cutright, mechanical engineering.
Finishing secondary school at Assumption High in Thibodaux, E.J. knew his destiny included McNeese. He grew up listening to stories about his family’s time spent at McNeese, including tales from Uncle Michael who played Cowboy basketball in the ‘80s.
E.J. now works for Levingston Group LLC as a mechanical engineer. He found out about the position through his Foundation scholarship. He said the Levingston Group contacted him for an interview and soon called him back to offer him a position. “I feel that Levingston has offered me an opportunity to pursue my goals in my career, and it has a strong team with potential for growth and development,” explained E.J. E.J. said, “The main thing I would pass on to other students attending McNeese is that you are here to work. Yes, there is time to have fun, too, but if you lose sight of the work, you will lose sight of the goal.” Wisely stated.
E.J. embraced the academic rigors and student life. “I lived in a residence hall my first two years and I would recommend that to anyone. If you don’t surround yourself with campus activities at college, you can easily fall off the path. Living on campus, you are immersed in the college atmosphere which helps you to stay focused on school,” said E.J. While maintaining a 3.72 grade point average in engineering, E.J. found time for extracurricular activities. He was editor-in-chief of the Contraband student newspaper, a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and served on the Leadership, Discipline and Homecoming committees. E.J. is a recipient of the Conoco, Dupont, Lundy & Davis Mossville Scholarship. He was recognized at the Seventh Annual Undergraduate
I work with many students who have substantial knowledge of mechanical engineering, but few offered a unique perspective and truly embraced their learning of the subject matter as did Ervin. He not only exhibited a strong desire to learn, but he also demonstrated good leadership. He helped make his teammates better. Ervin impressed me with his knowledge, skill and dedication to his work. I firmly believe that his talents will only shine brighter as he solves challenging engineering problems in his career. Ning Zhang, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering
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