Eugene Bard, president of Bard, Rao + Athanas Consulting Engineers, LLC, was the speaker for the 2006 Marvin J. Kudroff Memorial Lectureship. The event was held on April 19 in the Assembly Room at the Nittany Lion Inn. Bard presented "Engineering Entrepreneur -- 35 Years Later -- Challenges in Founding/Managing a Consulting Engineering Firm."

Founded in 1975, Bard, Rao + Athanas Consulting Engineers LLC provides state-of-the-art and integrated mechanical, electrical, plumbing and fire protection engineering and building commissioning services. The firm employs more than 250 people and has five offices nationwide.

A registered professional engineer in 32 states, Bard received his bachelor's degree in architectural engineering from Penn State in 1968. He has received the National First Place American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers' (ASHRAE) Technology Award "Recognizing Outstanding Achievement in the Design and Operation of Energy-Efficient Buildings," as well as the National Award for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy from the U.S. Department of Energy.

He remains active at Penn State, serving on the College of Engineering's Leonhard Center Advisory Board and Advancement Committee. He was named a College of Engineering Outstanding Engineering Alumnus in 1990 and a Penn State Alumni Fellow in 1995. In 2000, he provided a leadership gift in establishing the Academic Excellence Endowment in Architectural Engineering to enhance the academic environment for AE faculty and students.

The Marvin J. Kudroff Memorial Lectureship in Engineering Management was established in 1981 to provide an annual seminar for faculty and students of the University by leaders in engineering management. Marvin Kudroff was a 1943 architectural engineering graduate. He spent his career in engineering management and was named an Outstanding Engineering Alumnus in 1975.