James Albaugh, SEAS M.S. '74 and executive vice president of the Boeing Company, has been selected as Class Day speaker for the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, according to a release sent by the administration to Spectator on Sunday evening. break On May 18, 2009, Albaugh, known for his innovation in aeronautics, will address the nearly 650 candidates for the Engineering School's various undergraduate and graduate degrees, according to the release. "He'll be a great speaker because a lot of times SEAS students think that the engineering school leans towards consulting or finance," said Peter Valeiras, SEAS '09 and Engineering Student Council president. "The choice shows that we have a lot of alumni who are in the engineering world and have done great things to change the world in a positive way. SEAS students think that the school caters towards finance, and not towards pure engineering, but this goes to show that we do have engineering alumni who have gone into the engineering field." Albaugh will follow last year's Class Day speaker Armen A. Avanessians, SEAS '83, who is a University Trustee and a high-level director of Goldman Sachs. The engineering school's speaker choices in recent years have varied among financial mavens, engineers, and an architect. SEAS Class Day speakers are chosen by deans, unlike the student-driven process at the college. But Valeiras said that the council is looking into "different possible ways to choose the Class Day speaker. We haven't really discussed the details about it yet, we're just starting the process." Albaugh, recognized with awards by organizations such as the Aerospace Historical Society and the Southern California Aeronautic Association, completed his SEAS degree in civil engineering before working as a project engineer at Rocketdyne Propulsion & Power. Twenty years later, he became president of Rocketdyne—which was acquired by Boeing in 1996—when he was named president of Boeing Space Transportation. "Among the myriad of initiatives that Mr. Albaugh oversees, none is more compelling than space exploration," SEAS Dean Gerald Navratil noted in the release. "Boeing (formerly Rocketdyne) space exploration has been a vital part of this nation's journey into space, from Gemini, Apollo and Skylab to the space shuttle and International Space Station (ISS). Boeing is now working on NASA's Constellation project that will help astronauts return to the moon by 2020." Albaugh received his B.A. in mathematics and physics from Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, where he is now a trustee. Albaugh is also president and chief executive officer of Boeing Integrated Defense Systems, a business unit headquartered in St. Louis, Mo. that oversees $32 billion and 70,000 people. The unit contains Boeing Military Aircraft, Tanker Programs, Phantom Works, Global Services & Support, and Network and Space Systems—which consists of combat and intelligence systems, according to the Boeing Web site. Albaugh was previously CEO of Boeing Space and Communications, which merged with the Military Aircraft and Missiles Systems unit to create Integrated Defense Systems in July 2002. According to the release, Albaugh's affiliation with his alma mater did not end during his own Class Day in 1974. "During Reunion 2002, Mr. Albaugh delivered the Magill Lecture Series in Science, Technology and the Arts at SEAS Dean's Day, where he spoke of The Art of Designing and Crafting Space-Bound Platforms," the release said. "In addition to remaining an involved alumnus, Mr. Albaugh is active on the boards of several professional and charitable organizations and has won numerous professional awards."