Muskingum News

Muskingum University granted master’s degrees at its graduate commencement exercises, held May 9 in Brown Chapel on the campus. The address was delivered by 1976 alumnus D. Tom McCalmont. 

Degrees conferred were the Master of Arts in Teaching, the Master of Arts in Education and the Master of Information Strategy, Systems and Technology.

Muskingum University President Anne C. Steele congratulated the assembled graduates and said, “You have worked hard, and we are very proud of you. What you have done here will have an impact on thousands of individuals, your communities and the world.”

In his address, Mr. McCalmont told the graduates, “What you know matters much less than what you do with what you know  Make good use of what you know and push forward fearlessly.”

Recognizing his lifetime of achievement, the university bestowed upon him an honorary doctor of science degree. 

D. Tom McCalmont, an entrepreneur and inventor, holds 13 United States patents and has focused his career on developing new businesses that deliver innovative technology solutions and solve real-world customer problems.

He is the president and co-founder of McCalmont Engineering, a leading designer of large-scale solar power plants and related renewable energy technology. He also serves as a director of Solmetric Corporation, an award-winning provider of software and hardware tools for the solar installation industry. Previously, he co-founded and served as CEO of REgrid Power, which rapidly became one of California’s largest and most respected solar electric integrators.  

Mr. McCalmont advances the use of solar energy throughout the country, as co-founder and chairman of SolarTech, a non-profit private/public consortium. SolarTech brings together industry and the public sector to drive the growth of solar energy, by eliminating state and local barriers to solar power adoption and serving as a collaborative forum for addressing solar integration challenges. 

He shares his expertise in support of education and economic development as a member of the Santa Clara University School of Engineering Advisory Board, the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP), the nationally recognized certification agency for solar professionals; Joint Venture:Silicon Valley Network and the Climate Prosperity Council. His service as a member of Muskingum’s Board of Trustees has helped shape the University’s future. 

A physics major at Muskingum, Mr. McCalmont earned a master of science degree in electrical engineering from Stanford University and completed the AEA/Stanford Executive MBA program. 

He and his wife Darlene, his co-founder in REgrid and the first woman in California to become a NABCEP-certified solar engineer, reside in San Jose, California. They are the parents of Stacey and Aaron.

Candidates for master’s degrees were presented by Vice President of Academic Affairs James Callaghan The degrees were conferred by President Steele, Muskingum University Trustee and alumnus Gordon Spillman, Vice President of Graduate and Continuing Studies Dr. Mark Sanford, Department of Education Chair Dr. Rae Harriott White and Associate Professor of Informatics Dr. Doyt L. Perry.

Faculty marshals were Professor of Communication and Theatre Dr. Jerry Martin and Dr. Larry Normansell, the Henry and Mary Evelyn Laurent Distinguished Professor of Psychology. 

The student marshal was Evan M. McCullough.