Two CEAT alumni honored with OSU’s highest awards for impact and achievement

Tuesday, July 1, 2025

Media Contact: Desa James | Communications Coordinator | 405-744-2669 | desa.james@okstate.edu

Oklahoma State University has announced its 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award and 2026 Hall of Fame honorees, and two standout alumni from the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology are among this year’s celebrated individuals. 

Dr. Kenneth E. Case, a figure in industrial engineering whose influence spanned continents and careers, has been posthumously named a 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient. Rick Muncrief, a nationally respected energy executive known for his transformative leadership and commitment to people, will be inducted into the 2026 OSU Hall of Fame. 

Both honorees embody CEAT's values and represent the college’s tradition of excellence, leadership and lifelong service. 

Dr. Kenneth E. Case 

Case, a regent’s professor emeritus, is widely regarded as one of the top industrial engineers in the world. He received his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, his master’s and doctoral degrees in industrial engineering and management, all from OSU. 

Case returned to Stillwater in 1975 to join the IEM faculty, and from there, helped shape the direction of the program and its people for decades. His visionary leadership led to the development of OSU’s Master of Science in engineering and technology management degree program, what was then a new and first-of-its-kind fully online program geared for working engineers.  

He served as department head and a trusted mentor to generations of CEAT students. His impact extended far beyond the classroom. Case was a fellow and past president of both the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers and the American Society for Quality. In addition, he was a National Academy of Engineering member, one of only three from OSU and 21 from Oklahoma. 

Even after retirement, Case remained active in industry and education, establishing scholarships and an endowed chair, while also offering mentorship and insight until his passing in 2024. The School of IEM established the Kenneth E. Case Society in his honor. The society now serves as a foundation for alumni and friends to enhance their support for IEM scholarships, research and faculty excellence; foster philanthropic activities to support IEM academic and research programs; and to fulfill OSU’s land-grant mission.   

During an interview in November 2024, Dr. Ken Case said, “There are a lot of universities out there, and I have to say, I got so much out of Oklahoma State and its people. I look at the accomplishments of our students and see what all they have accomplished and where they have risen to and think, I must have done something right, and I was just a part of it.”  

The 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award recipients, including Case, will be honored during a reception on Thursday, Sept. 18, at the ConocoPhillips OSU Alumni Center and recognized during the OSU vs. Tulsa football game on Sept. 19. 

Rick Muncrief 

Rick Muncrief, a 1980 graduate in petroleum engineering technology, has built a career at the forefront of America’s energy industry. As former president and CEO of Devon Energy which merged with WPX Energy in 2021, Muncrief oversaw more than $8 billion of transactions that radically changed the company’s holdings, most notably its 2015 entry into the Permian Basin.  

Recognized by peers and the public alike for his integrity and people-first leadership, Muncrief has long emphasized that the energy business is, above all, a business about people. 

“We’re all in the people business,” he said. “So, make time for others, learn from them, be a resource for them and always keep your word.” 

With nearly 40 years of experience and leadership roles at companies like Continental Resources and ConocoPhillips, Muncrief has remained a champion for the state, the energy sector and his alma mater. His work has earned national recognition, including being named Industry Executive of the Year by Oil & Gas Investor and appearing before Congress to advocate for policy change. 

His legacy also runs deep along family lines. Muncrief is the third generation in his family to work in the oil and gas industry. Both of his children are now engineers in energy continuing the tradition. 

Muncrief and fellow Hall of Fame inductees will be formally honored at the 2026 OSU Hall of Fame Ceremony, the university’s highest recognition for lifetime achievement on Feb. 13, 2026.