When you join the ranks of your mentors and heroes, you鈥檝e reached a major milestone. Dr. Charles L. 鈥淐huck鈥� Karr, president of 糖心原创出品 (UAH), felt the significance of that moment when he was named to the 2025 class of the Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame (AEHOF). UAH is a part of The University of Alabama System.
鈥淚 was amazed. I was flattered. I was humbled,鈥� Karr said. 鈥淚 had an opportunity to be involved with the Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame for almost 20 years. I was on the board of directors, so I鈥檝e seen the caliber of people who have been inducted. It鈥檚 really a huge honor 鈥� and one I鈥檓 fairly certain I don鈥檛 deserve 鈥� but it was very humbling.鈥�
Karr plus seven other individuals and one corporation were inducted into the Hall of Fame during a celebration banquet on Feb. 22 at Ross Bridge in Birmingham. They joined the 229 persons, 35 corporations/institutions and 46 engineering projects that have been honored since the Hall of Fame was created in 1987.
鈥淗aving been in Alabama for 40 years, there are many people on the list I know,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hen I go through it, I see remarkable people that I would consider to be mentors, if not heroes.鈥�
The Hall of Fame cites Karr for his 鈥渙utstanding legacy in the field of engineering in the State of Alabama through education, research and leadership.鈥�
A native of Gulf Breeze, Fla., Karr began that legacy at The University of Alabama (UA), earning his Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering in 1984 and his master鈥檚 and doctorate in engineering mechanics in 1986 and 1989. From 1988-1995, he worked as a research engineer with the U.S. Bureau of Mines, Tuscaloosa Research Center, leading efforts in using fuzzy logic and artificial intelligence to improve and optimize the performance of mineral beneficiation equipment. He also taught part time at UA.
He returned to UA full time in 1995 as an assistant professor and rose through the ranks to become a full professor in 2002. He served as head of the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics from 2001-2004 and was appointed dean of the College of Engineering in 2005. He is considered a leading expert in the area of intelligent systems, having published three books and 44 journal articles. He also holds several patents.
Just a few of the awards Karr has received throughout his career indicate the scope of his work:
- 1990 鈥� Engineer of the Year, U.S. Bureau of Mines, Tuscaloosa Research Center
- 1991 鈥� Young Scientist of the Year, Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration鈥檚 Industrial Minerals Division
- 1993 鈥� Outstanding Young Engineer Award, Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration鈥檚 Mineral and Metallurgical Processing Division
- 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001 鈥� Charles Henry Ratcliff Memorial Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Engineering Mechanics Teaching
- 2005 鈥� T. Morris Hackney Faculty Leadership Award, UA College of Engineering
Karr oversaw growth in student achievement, programs, faculty and facilities during his tenure at UA, and he brought that experience and mindset to UAH in December 2021.
For Karr, the most important component in any equation is human.
鈥淎 career really is about the people you鈥檝e interacted with. It鈥檚 a matter of trying to consistently do the right thing and having a positive impact on people. If you're going to have a positive effect, you need to genuinely care about them. I don鈥檛 see how you can be in a leadership position if you don鈥檛 care about people.鈥�
Caring is Karr鈥檚 first key to success. Second is a passion for your work, a message he shares freely with students.
鈥淚 tell young people all the time, I understand you鈥檝e got to make a certain amount of money. But if you work only for money, and I work for passion, when you鈥檙e crying to stop, I鈥檒l be crying to keep going. If you鈥檙e not passionate about what you do, then find something else.
鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 be at UAH if I didn鈥檛 have a passion for what we do here. We鈥檝e got great research and academic programs. But at the end of the day, it鈥檚 about the remarkable faculty, the outstanding staff and the tremendous young people who make up UAH.鈥�