Missouri University of Science and Technology has announced the establishment of the John and Deborah Roam Teaching Professor for the Fundamentals of Energy Conversion, made possible through a generous gift of more than $1 million from longtime supporters John and Deborah Roam.
The new endowed professorship will provide sustained support for instruction and course development in the foundational areas of energy conversion, especially thermodynamics and heat transfer within S&T’s Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. The fund will support a distinguished faculty member whose teaching, curriculum development, and mentorship strengthen students’ understanding of energy conversion — one of the cornerstones of mechanical engineering education.
Dr. David Bayless, chair of mechanical and aerospace engineering, serves as the inaugural Roam Teaching Professor.
“Energy conversion is fundamental to all we do in mechanical engineering — from propulsion to power generation, and the energy systems of the future,” says Bayless. “This professorship is an extraordinary investment in our students, and we are deeply grateful to John and Deborah for both their vision and their lifelong commitment to Missouri S&T.”
A lifelong connection to energy
John H. Roam, a 1969 mechanical engineering graduate, spent more than four decades applying his expertise in energy conversion across the oil and gas industry and the U.S. Navy. Born in Aurora, Missouri, and raised in southwest Missouri, Roam earned an associate degree from Missouri Southern College before enrolling at the University of Missouri–Rolla (now Missouri S&T), where he majored in mechanical engineering with an emphasis in energy conversion.
Immediately after graduating in 1969, Roam began his career with Sinclair Oil Corp. in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Following Sinclair’s merger with ARCO later that year, he moved into engineering roles supporting operations at the newly discovered Prudhoe Bay Field in Alaska. His career paused when he entered the U.S. Navy’s Officer Candidate School, leading to service in the Civil Engineer Corps and deployment to Vietnam as an Assistant Company Commander with the Seabees.
After returning to civilian life, Roam rejoined ARCO in 1972 and rose through technical and leadership roles in Texas, Colorado, and Alaska. He later served as Operations Superintendent and Plant Superintendent at Prudhoe Bay, overseeing some of the most complex energy operations in North America. Although he officially retired in 1995, Roam continued to lend his expertise as a consulting engineer to BP America for nearly a decade, supporting facility redesigns and mentoring early-career engineers.
John and his wife, Deborah Pittman Roam, whom he met in Odessa, Texas, have been steadfast supporters of Missouri S&T for decades through the Miner Alumni Association Annual Fund and the Mechanical Engineering Development Fund.
A gift that transforms teaching
The Roam Professorship ensures a continuous source of support for high-quality instruction in thermodynamics, heat transfer, and related fundamentals — courses that influence nearly every mechanical and aerospace engineering student at S&T.
“This endowed professorship strengthens our department’s mission to deliver rigorous, hands-on engineering education in energy conversions,” Bayless says. “John’s career demonstrates the profound impact of mastering the fundamentals. John’s and Deborah’s gift will continue that legacy for generations of Miners.”