Plans are underway for the inaugural Patton Allison Memorial Lecture, established to honor the life, work, and enduring impact of Dr. Patton Allison, a cherished member of the Michigan State University community. Allison died in April 2025 at the age of 38.
Allison joined MSU in 2017 as an assistant professor of Mechanical Engineering and quickly established a reputation for his passion and dedication to students. A two-time recipient of the prestigious Withrow Teaching Excellence Awards in Mechanical Engineering, his student nominators called him “knowledgeable and passionate” and “a driving force behind the popularity of the college’s undergraduate concentration in aerospace engineering.”
Allison was deeply involved in student life and mentorship. He served as a faculty advisor to the AIAA MSU Michigan Section, Michigan State Rocketry Club and was an active supporter of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers. Through these roles, he helped foster inclusive, collaborative learning environments where students felt encouraged to take risks, ask questions, and imagine bigger futures for themselves.
He led distinguished research in combustion science and propulsion in MSU’s Advanced Diagnostics and Combustion Lab. His passion for exploration extended beyond the lab, including a memorable 2018 event where he brought students and faculty together with NASA astronaut Michael Foale to discuss the differences between life on Earth and in space—an experience that captured Allison’s ability to make complex ideas feel accessible, exciting, and human.
In honor of Allison’s many contributions to the college, university, and discipline, the annual Patton Allison Memorial Lecture will be open to the MSU Engineering community. It will feature experts within aerospace engineering and other disciplines, and speakers will embody the qualities Allison lived by: intellectual curiosity, technical excellence, generosity of spirit, and a deep commitment to inspiring the next generation.
Information on the inaugural fall 2026 lecture will be shared this summer.
Read more about Patton Allison's life and work.
MSU College of Engineering Media and Public Relations page