Two College of Engineering graduates — Jerry Collier and Rashida Hodge — received the Distinguished Engineering Alumni (DEA) Award during a dinner and ceremony on campus on Oct. 29, 2025, as part of Red and White Week.

The DEA Award was established by the faculty of the College of Engineering at North Carolina State University in 1966 to honor engineering graduates who have been recognized for outstanding achievements in planning and direction of engineering work; fostering professional development of young engineers; contributing to knowledge in the field of engineering; or bringing, in other ways, distinction to the university through engineering achievement.

Distinguished Engineering Alumni are nominated by College of Engineering faculty members and selected by the dean. The full list of previous recipients is available here.

About the 2025 DEA Award Recipients

Jerry Collier 

Jerry Collier, who earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from NC State University in 1967, is a longtime supporter of the university and College of Engineering. He established a successful building company in 1972, which has been known as Beachtowne Realty Corporation since 1977.

Born in Johnston County, where his parents farmed, Collier later moved to Norfolk, Virginia, for his father’s construction career. He chose to return to NC State for its civil engineering program, and after he graduated in 1967, he worked at Texaco Oil Company and then entered Officer Candidate School. Collier served in the U.S. Navy for four years and was awarded the Bronze Star for his service in combat in Vietnam with the Navy Seabees. He later returned to Norfolk, where he established his building company. Collier is a licensed professional engineer in Virginia and North Carolina. 

Collier and his wife, Pat, have made several gifts to the university and College of Engineering. In 2022, the Colliers made a transformational planned gift that represents the largest commitment to supporting military students in the university’s history. The endowment will provide scholarship support for up to 100 undergraduate and graduate military students each year. Over the years, Collier has served on the boards of the Alumni Association and the Graduate School. The Colliers’ gifts have supported student-athletes, the Graduate School, the Alumni Association and the College of Engineering, including the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering. 

Rashida Hodge

Rashida Hodge is a global technology executive and changemaker at the forefront of cloud and AI innovation.

She serves as corporate vice president of cloud and AI platforms, customer success at Microsoft, where she helps organizations realize the full potential of their data and technology investments. Her leadership has been pivotal in scaling cloud and AI adoption, shaping product experiences and accelerating transformation across industries. The work she has led has delivered real, measurable value — driving speed, innovation and strategic outcomes at scale.

Previously, Hodge spent over two decades at IBM, where she became known as the “Superhero of IBM Watson AI.” She led the global launch and commercialization of IBM Watson, built a world-class AI services organization and helped establish IBM’s leadership in enterprise AI.

Known for her bold and authentic leadership, she has done business in more than 70 countries, forging trusted relationships, building high-performing teams and delivering breakthrough innovation across borders.

Originally from St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Hodge is deeply committed to mentorship and building pathways for the next generation. In 2012, she founded the Real Hope for NextGen Engineers Endowment at NC State to support aspiring engineers with financial need. In 2024, she made a game-changing $1 million gift to establish the Rashida A. Hodge Scholarship Fund, the largest scholarship of its kind for U.S. Virgin Islands students attending NC State — opening doors for future leaders from her home.

Hodge holds a B.S. and M.S. in industrial engineering from NC State University and an MBA from Duke University. She has been named to Fortune’s 40 Under 40 in Technology and NC Tech’s Woman of the Year. She serves on the boards of Regal Rexnord, Sonatype, Girls Inc., the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands and the NC State Board of Visitors.