Alumnus Shahid Khan honored as a Lincoln Laureate

Engineering at Illinois alumnus Shahid Khan (BS 1971, Industrial Engineering) was one of six distinguished Illinoisans recently honored as a Lincoln Laureate, the state’s highest award for achievement.

Khan, who is the president of Flex-N-Gate Corp., and Timothy Nugent, founder of the Division of Disability Resources and Educational Services at the University of Illinois were the two local honorees receiving the Order of Lincoln medallion from the Lincoln Academy of Illinois. Other Lincoln Laureates honored this year include Richard and Mary Lackritz Gray, Shirley R. Madigan, and former Illinois state senator and comptroller Dawn Clark Netsch.

A native of Pakistan, Khan worked at Flex-N-Gate in Urbana while still a student at Illinois. After graduation, he established his own company, Bumper Works, and eventually acquired Flex-N-Gate in 1980. Today, Flex-N-Gate is one of the 200 largest private companies in the United States. With nearly 50 plants and 9,500 workers around the world, its clients include BMW, DaimlerChrysler, Ford, and GM.

"We have great respect and appreciation for Shahid and all his professional and personal achievements in the community," said Molly Tracy, associate dean for advancement at the College of Engineering.

Describing Khan as an "extremely intelligent and very savvy business person," Tracy added, "We are very fortunate to have such an involved alumnus here.” His on-going commitment to Engineering at Illinois includes service on a number of boards, such as the Engineering Board of Visitors, the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Alumni Board, as well as the MechSE extern program, which entails students job-shadowing engineers.

In 2006, Khan received the College of Engineering Alumni Award for Distinguished Service, “for outstanding contributions to the automotive industry and to the University of Illinois.” A member of the UI Foundation Board of Directors, Shahid, and his wife, Ann Khan, have supported academic programs in College of Engineering, the College of Business, the College of Applied Health Sciences, as well as athletic programs, such as the Atkins Tennis Center.

The Lincoln Academy of Illinois was established in 1964 to honor Illinois’ most distinguished citizens. The annual ceremony is traditionally rotated among Springfield, Chicago, and other university communities. This year’s Lincoln Academy convocation and investiture of laureates was chaired by Stanley and Judy Ikenberry and Michael and Virginia Hogan and held at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts on April 16.
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Editor’s note: Portions of this story were excerpted from articles in The News-Gazette by Debra Pressey (Feb. 9, 2011) and Christine Des Garennes (April 10, 2011).

Photos: L. Brian Stauffer, photographic specialist, University of Illinois News Bureau.

If you have any questions about the College of Engineering, or other story ideas, contact Rick Kubetz,writer/editor, Engineering Communications Office, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 217/244-7716.