Electrical and Computer Engineering

Advisory Board

The primary mission of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Tennessee Tech University is to prepare its students to become productive members of the electrical and computer engineering professions at the basic and advanced levels. In addition, the department strives to enhance and expand the knowledge in the various fields of electrical and computer engineering by conducting research and scholarly activity and to be of service to the public and the profession by sharing the expertise of its personnel.

Thus, a major activity of the department is to educate engineers to meet the needs of the industry. Also, the department, by its graduate program, plays a vital role in the continuing education of electrical and computer engineers for industry. Hence, it is important for the department to receive feedback from industry on the effectiveness of its academic programs and to receive input regarding changes in the curriculum needed to keep pace with the changing needs of industry. Therefore, the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering has established an Industry Advisory Board that will function as a communication channel between the department and industry. By participating in this activity, industry will be able to provide timely input in the education of its engineers and so have available an engineering work force well educated with necessary skills needed for a fast changing industrial environment. The scope, the membership, and the structure of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Industrial Advisory Board are outlined below.

Scope and Role

The role of the Industry Advisory Board of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering is to provide a forum for communications between the department, industry, and working electrical and computer engineers in the region. This formal dialogue will enable the groups to identify and discuss areas of mutual interest. Specifically, it is the desire of the university, college, and the department that the industries in the region interact with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in its efforts to develop and maintain a dynamic curriculum for its degree programs, establish and support appropriate laboratory and other educational facilities, and provide opportunities for its faculty to be current in their teaching and research disciplines. The Industry Advisory Board will provide advice and counsel regarding the department's academic programs, facilities, areas of growth relevant to the needs of the industry, and such other matters for incorporation into the department's planning process, and will assist the department in finding resources to achieve the above objectives. Thus, the topics addressed by the Board may include, but will not be limited to, departmental goals and objectives, industry needs for instructional programs, co-op programs, scholarship and fellowship programs, and faculty development programs.

The Board will meet once a year for one day during the Spring Semester to carry out its business. Additional meetings may be called as deemed appropriate by the Board or the department. It is expected that each individual member or his/her company will bear the lodging, travel, and other expenses associated with the meeting.

Board Membership and Member Terms

The Board membership will be composed of representatives from organizations, both private and public, who employ electrical and computer engineering graduates or are involved in electrical and computer engineering education and research. Individuals selected from these organizations will include those who are recognized leaders in their organizations with experience in any combination of performance, evaluation, or supervision of electrical and computer engineering personnel, and who have special interest in our programs.

The board will consist of persons appointed by the President of the University. Once appointed, they will serve for five-year terms. Any board member may be appointed for subsequent terms by the President. The Board will select its own chairperson. The Department Chairperson will be an ex-officio member of the Board.

Industry Advisory Board Members

• Todd Arrants, Principal Owner, Utility Sales Agency, Franklin, TN, todd@utilitysales.com
• Jack Baxter, Vice President - Power Systems Operations, Nashville Electric Service, Nashville TN, jbaxter@nespower.com
• Dr. William Dale Blair, Principal Research Scientist, Georgia Tech Research Institute, Atlanta GA, dale.blair@gtri.gatech.edu
• Sharon Carter, Director of Facilities and Test Department, Jacobs Technology, Houston, TX, jsmc0123@gmail.com
• Steve Carter, Technical Director, Kulite Semiconductor Products, Leonia NJ, steve.carter@kulite.com
• Kristen Deardorff, Deputy Director, Jacobs Engineering, Nevada National Security Site, deardokn@nv.doe.gov
• Tim Fritch, Manager of Reliability Analysis, Tennessee Valley Authority, Chattanooga, TN, tnfritch@tva.gov
• Kevin Givens, Project Manager, Adtran, Huntsville AL, kevin.givens@adtran.com
• Bob Gower, President & CEO United Memories Inc., Retired, Colorado Springs CO, unimem@aol.com
• Dr. Robert P. Howard, Technology Development, ATA/AEDC, Arnold Air Force Base TN, robert.howard.13.ctr@us.af.mil
• J. Kevin Long, Associate Electrical Engineer Plant Engineering, Eastman Chemical Company, Kingsport TN, jklong02@centurylink.net
• Savannah M. Long, Junior Electrical Engineer, Dynetics, Inc., Madison AL, savannah.long@dynetics.com
• Dr. John H. Matthews, President, John Matthews & Associates, Cookeville TN, jomatthews@twlakes.net
• Ben Meade, Analytical Services Group Leader, Eastman Chemical Company, Kingsport TN, benjaminmeade@eastman.com
• Karen O'Donoghue, Research Analyst for Networks and Trust, Internet Society, King George VA, odonoghue@isoc.org
• James D. Peterman, Senior Product Manager, Communications Global Business Unit, Oracle, Morrisville NC, james.peterman@oracle.com
• Michael W. Pyle, VP Cyber Security, Partner Business, Schneider Electric, Hermitage TN, mike@py-logic.com
• Robert Sexton, Radar Systems Engineer, Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division, Dahlgren VA, rdsexto@gmail.com
• Jim Tisdale, Managing Director Engineering Planning & Performance, FedEx Corp., Memphis TN, jhtisdale@fedex.com
• Jensie Trail, Data System and Instrumentation Engineer, Lockheed Martin, , jmcastlewoman@gmail.com
• Dr. Tim Wallace, Associate Professor, Lipscomb University, Nashville, TN, polymorphics@protonmail.com