T. Dwayne and Mary Helen McCay Establish Endowed Professorships

Gifts to Honor Trustee Bjornar Hermansen, Professor Junda Lin     

MELBOURNE, FLA. — Florida Institute of Technology President T. Dwayne McCay and First Lady Mary Helen McCay have established endowed professorships in science and engineering in honor of two influential members of the university community who passed away within the last year.

The Bjornar K. Hermansen Ocean Engineering Professorship is named for the businessman, philanthropist and 26-year Florida Tech trustee who died Dec. 30, 2015.

In recognition of Hermansen’s generosity toward the university, the professorship is a testament to his unwavering commitment to the mission and values of Florida Tech while also acknowledging the formative impact he had on the development of Port Canaveral and the cruise industry.

Junda Lin, a professor of biological sciences at Florida Tech and director of the Institute for Marine Research, died March 2, 2016. The Junda Lin Marine Biology Professorship will honor Lin’s passion for teaching and the quality and importance of his research in the field of marine science as well as his key role in advancing both the Institute and the Vero Beach Marine Lab.

“From the boardroom to the classroom and beyond, these two men made a huge, positive impact not just on Florida Tech, our students, staff and faculty, but on citizens and businesses across Central Florida,” President McCay said. “Mary Helen and I are honored to establish these professorships that will keep these special men in our thoughts and making a difference for years to come.”

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