RUBRIGHT

John P. Rubright has been elevated to president of geotechnical contractor Heyward Baker Inc., Odenton, Md., as part of a planned management succession. Formerly senior vice president of its southern region, he succeeds George R. Grisham, who has occupied that role since 2003. Grisham becomes executive vice president of Keller Foundations Inc., Heyward Baker’s London-based parent. Succeeding Rubright is Michael W. Terry, formerly vice president and branch manager.

Rice University, Houston, has named Edwin “Ned” Thomas as dean of its George R. Brown School of Engineering, effective on July 1. He currently is chairman of the Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Thomas, who has served in this role since 2006, previously was director of MIT’s program in polymer science and technology and deputy director of its microphotonics center. In 2002, he founded MIT’s Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies, a multidepartment program that researches bomb detection technology and lightweight gear for military personnel. Thomas will teach in two engineering departments. At Rice, he succeeds Sidney Burrus, who has been interim dean since Sept. 1 and served as dean from 1998 to 2005. He remains on the faculty as an engineering professor emeritus.

Hill International, the Marlton, N.J., claims consultant and project management firm, has made executive changes. Freddie T. Bustillo has joined the company as a vice president for business development in Houston. Most recently, he was senior business development manager for Gilbane Building Co. Also joining in the same capacity is Jannet Walker, who will be based in Atlanta. She was a vice president with First Data Corp. and formerly an executive vice president and deputy general manager at Atlanta’s Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority.

GOLAN

Hill also has promoted several internationally based senior managers in its claims group as part of a restructuring. In the role of senior vice president and managing director, William Kennedy will cover Asia, the Middle East and Africa; David Brodie-Stedman will cover the Middle East and Africa; Derek Nelson will cover Asia, and Francesco Mastrandrea, who also is head of international expert-witness services, will cover Europe. Tobias I. Hunt and David A. Price have expanded international roles as senior vice presidents of business development and strategy.

Adura Technologies, a San Francisco technology firm specializing in wireless lighting controls and energy management systems, has named Mark Golan as CEO. He had been vice president and general manager at Johnson Controls Inc. Golan, who also is a former vice president at Cisco Systems, replaces Andy Wheeler, who had been acting CEO. Wheeler remains Adura’s chief technology officer. Adura, founded in 2005, develops technology researched at the University of California-Berkeley’s Center for the Built Environment.

CHEONG

Black & Veatch, Overland Park, Kan., has made two senior management appointments as part of its increased focus on global large-scale engineering, procurement and construction projects. Hoe Wai Cheong, managing director for Asia, the Middle East, India, Europe and Africa operations in the firm’s global energy business, has been named to the executive committee, its senior leadership team. He joined the company in 2007. Richard Dagwell has been named managing director of Asia Pacific expanded-scope projects in the firm’s global water business. He has been with Black & Veatch since 1993.

HDR, the Omaha, Neb.-based engineer and architect, is expanding operations in Australia with its recent hiring of three former executives of RK Consultancy Services, Melbourne, now disbanded. Robert Kalivoda, RKCS founder and managing director, now is managing director of HDR International in Australia. Fotos Andreou, formerly RKCS government relations director, becomes water group director in Australia; David Loutit, formerly RKCS business advisory director, is named HDR operations director. RKCS has served clients in Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.