TCE Launching Leadership in Engineering and Entrepreneurship  

Seeking to provide students with a more holistic education and meet industry needs, the Tickle College of Engineering is launching the Leadership in Engineering and Entrepreneurship (LEEP) program.  

The program is designed to distinguish TCE students by equipping them with the leadership skills necessary to thrive in today’s complex, interdisciplinary environments. LEEP integrates leadership theory with practical application across multiple domains by offering a comprehensive array of educational and experiential opportunities, including a class, certificates, workshops, and a podcast. 

The new course will be piloted in the spring of 2025. The certificates will be available starting in the fall of 2025. TCE is also debuting a digital badge program for LEEP, providing students with a micro credential and digital badge to place on their social media accounts and LinkedIn profiles to show employers they have taken the extra curriculum. 

Angelique Adams, the college’s entrepreneur-in-residence, is expanding her role to associate professor of practice and director of LEEP. Since joining UT in 2022, Adams has been using her leadership and innovation expertise to help members of the college turn their ideas into marketable products and connect them with additional resources.  

The LEEP program will consist of:  

• Engineering Leadership from Concept to Execution, a core leadership course introducing students to emotional intelligence, decision-making, team dynamics, and conflict management through real-world case studies and practical exercises. 

• Three 12-credit interdisciplinary certificates in collaboration with the Haslam College of Business and the Baker School of Public Policy and Public Affairs that will equip students with targeted leadership and technical skills tailored to their professional goals. Certificates will be available in Engineering Leadership and Project Management, Engineering Leadership and Innovation, and Engineering Leadership and Public Policy. 

“These three options give students an opportunity to pursue their personal interests,” Adams said. “You can take a leadership course, and then, if you’re really interested in innovation and entrepreneurship, there’s a path for you. If you’re really interested in project management, that’s a path for you. If you’re interested in policy, that’s a path for you.” 

• Collaboration with existing programs on campus to provide hands-on workshops and leadership experiences to give students a chance to practice their leadership skills in a variety of contexts.  

• Mastering Engineering Leadership podcast featuring a series of interviews with engineering leaders discussing real-world leadership challenges and strategies that support the EF 316 course and showcases leadership stories to inspire and educate students. 

Along with equipping students with skills that transfer to every aspect of life and can benefit society, Adams hopes LEEP will make them more marketable as job candidates. 

“Ultimately it comes down to employers saying the University of Tennessee is the solution of choice for them hiring engineering students,” Adams said. “We really want employers to be coming to TCE engineering students for employment, and we want students to recognize themselves as leaders and be ready to go out into the workforce as potential leaders.” 

(EF 306: Section 003 will be offered Spring 2025).

Contact

Rhiannon Potkey (865-974-0683, rpotkey@utk.edu)