Herff College of Engineering Will Honor John Pafford at Awards Dinner March 1
For release: January 25, 2011
For press information, contact Gabrielle Maxey, 901-678-2843

The University of Memphis Herff College of Engineering will honor John A. Pafford as its 2011 Outstanding Alumnus at its annual awards dinner March 1 at the U of M Holiday Inn, 3700 Central Ave. A reception will begin at 6 p.m., followed by the dinner and program at 6:30.

Pafford earned a bachelor of science degree in engineering technology from the U of M in 1987. A co-founder of Spine Wave, he has more than 30 years of experience in the orthopedic industry with 20 years in senior management. From 1991-2000 he served in a variety of executive positions at Sofamor Danek (now Medtronic Spine) including executive vice president of Worldwide Research and Development with regulatory affairs responsibilities. Most recently he was president of the Thoracolumbar Group and Technology Development.

Before to joining Sofamor Danek, Pafford served in a variety of technology roles at Dow Corning Wright (now Wright Medical). He is listed as inventor on 14 U.S. patents and18 U.S. patent applications on medical devices. Pafford serves on the boards of IlluminOss Medical Inc. and BioShape Solutions Inc., both privately held companies focused on orthopedic device development, as well as the Herff College of Engineering Advisory Council.

Tickets begin at $35 per person. For more information, call 901-678-4306