Tennessee Tech alumna Mary Anne Koltowich finds ‘absolute joy’ in giving back
When Mary Anne Koltowich, a 1977 Tennessee Tech University graduate, learned she had been selected for one of the College of Engineering’s highest honors, her thoughts immediately turned to family.
In 1986, Koltowich returned to Tech to accept the Engineer of Distinction Award on behalf of her late father, Alexander Koltowich, a prominent civil engineer with close ties to Tech through accreditation work, guest lecturing and service on the Board of Engineering Advisors.
Now, four decades later, it was her turn.
“It was a total shock,” said Koltowich of learning she would receive the same award bestowed upon her father exactly 40 years earlier. “I’m so honored to receive it. And it’s encouraging me to do more, actually.”
The Engineer of Distinction Award celebrates College of Engineering alumni who have achieved substantial professional success and made significant contributions to engineering. For Koltowich, the honor marks the latest chapter in a relationship with Tech stretching back more than half a century.
A native of the Nashville area, Koltowich initially envisioned becoming a math teacher. That changed during freshman orientation when longtime engineering professor Jim Rose encouraged young women interested in math and science to consider engineering.
“I had thought engineering wasn’t for girls,” Koltowich recalled. “But I said, ‘Why not?’”
The decision launched a career that took Koltowich from the Tennessee Valley Authority, where she worked in quality assurance and management at Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, to project management and consulting work involving Department of Energy sites, the U.S. Navy and Oak Ridge companies.
As her career grew, so did her connection to Tech.
Koltowich has given to the university annually for more than 40 years. Her philanthropy includes scholarships, engineering summer camps and student learning spaces. In 2024, she received the Tennessee Tech Alumni Association’s Outstanding Philanthropy Award.
She credits friend and longtime financial adviser Brian Homra with helping put her philanthropic plans into action.
“He didn’t attend Tech, but he has adopted it as his school,” Koltowich said. “We go to Tech football games together. He is an important part of our family’s story.”
Koltowich also established a student emergency grant to help engineering students facing unforeseen financial hardships remain enrolled. The cause is personal for her, as she remembers temporarily going without money for food after purchasing glasses as a Tech student.
“It’s become my passion. I love the students. I love the school. I want to give back because it made me who I am today,” she said.
Hearing directly from students her philanthropy supports has only deepened that connection.
“I get the best letters from students. Some of them tell me their story, and it’s incredible,” she said. “It’s enough to make you cry.”
Koltowich serves on the Tennessee Tech Foundation Board of Directors and has included Tech in her estate plans as a member of the university’s Visionary Society. She is also helping fund a robotics laboratory in the forthcoming Advanced Construction and Manufacturing Engineering (ACME) Building, set to open in late 2028.
“Mary Anne is a wonderful ambassador for Tennessee Tech and the Foundation Board,” said John Smith, interim vice president for University Advancement. “She truly cares about the students and has chosen to use her philanthropy in ways that directly impact the student experience. It does not take a long conversation with Mary Anne to know that student success is her passion. Tennessee Tech is fortunate to have an alumna, advocate and philanthropist like Mary Anne Koltowich.”
For Koltowich, philanthropy is less about recognition and more about seeing what students can do when someone invests in them.
“To me, this is fun. This is an absolute joy,” she said. “And I love coming up there and interacting with the students. They deserve it. They prove they deserve it.”
As a donor and Foundation Board member, Koltowich is also looking to Tech’s future.
“I see great things for Tennessee Tech,” she said. “We’ve got to look at what’s coming down the road and try to stay ahead of the curve. I want us to continue getting students out into the community and doing projects that benefit real people.”
She is particularly encouraged by the university’s current leadership.
“Dr. Phil Oldham, Dean Slater, John Smith and others – they are forward-thinking. They’re visionaries, really,” she said. “And each of them has been there long enough to make things happen.”
While she is proud to help fund spaces where future engineers will learn, Koltowich said directly supporting students will always mean the most.
“Buildings are great, but I think the lasting legacy is more toward the emergency grant and the scholarships,” she said. “That’s what I want to leave behind: something that stays.”