College of Engineering Names Joseph Marcus the 2003 Honor Aluminus Award Winner
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 21, 2003
Media Contact: Brad Bohlander
(970) 491-1545
Brad.Bohlander@colostate.edu
Colorado State University will name Joseph P. Marcus, retired vice president of Production Operations for Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, as the College of Engineering's 2003 Honor Alumnus Award winner at the Colorado State University Alumni Association's annual Distinguished Alumni Award Dinner on May 2. Marcus, who graduated from Colorado State in 1961 with a bachelor's in mechanical engineering and began his career with Lockheed Martin the same year, is being honored for a lifetime of professional accomplishments and his enduring commitment to the college.
"Joe Marcus is without a doubt one of our most accomplished and committed alumni," said Neal Gallagher, dean of the College of Engineering. "He is an excellent example of someone who used what they learned at Colorado State to excel in engineering and is also a role model of leadership in giving back to the university. We are pleased to honor Joe Marcus as our alumnus of the year."
Throughout his 41-year distinguished aerospace career at Lockheed Martin, Marcus worked his way through a series of jobs with increasing responsibilities in engineering design, production engineering, program management and production operations management.
Among several managerial positions, he served as director of the company's Space Launch Systems Manufacturing at Astronautics Operations in Denver, where he was responsible for the assembly and test of engineering products including Titan and Atlas rockets for NASA and the U.S. Air Force. He also served as director and program manager of the Superconducting Supercollider project and director of Titan Program Manufacturing. Marcus recently ended his career with the company after serving as the Vice President for Production Operations, where he led production engineering, manufacturing, testing and delivery of Space Shuttle External Tanks at the New Orleans Michaud Assembly Facility.
Among many accolades, Marcus received two Lockheed Martin Corporate NOVA awards for teamwork and leadership and was named Denver Astronautics Manager of the Year.
Marcus credits the quality of education at Colorado State for much of his professional success.
"Colorado State has always been so upbeat and the College of Engineering has such a positive attitude," said Marcus. "The academic elements have been special to me because they have served me in so many ways during my career."
Marcus has continually stayed involved with Colorado State's College of Engineering through several leadership efforts. He recently supported the college faculty in building an infrastructure and designing an innovative engineering curriculum to enhance programs and meet the rapidly growing needs of industry and the nation. Marcus was also involved in acquiring a $350,000 gift from Lockheed Martin to develop an interdisciplinary undergraduate curriculum that effectively utilizes the Lockheed Martin Design Studio at Colorado State. The design studio is based on Lockheed's Spacecraft Technology Center and allows students to design nationally competitive projects ranging from robotics to hydraulics, giving students hands-on industry experience in all phases of engineering production.
"The benefits to the students and faculty who work in the Design Studio have exceeded any expectations," Gallagher said. "The facility improves educational opportunities and has contributed greatly to recruiting efforts."
Marcus also has a history of hiring interns and graduates from Colorado State.
He serves as a member of the Dean's Advisory Council and has offered to continue
to help raise the awareness of the College of Engineering's outstanding programs
throughout the United States and beyond.