{"id":1564,"date":"2014-12-15T11:48:00","date_gmt":"2014-12-15T16:48:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tickle.utk.edu\/mae\/?p=1564"},"modified":"2025-08-01T11:51:06","modified_gmt":"2025-08-01T15:51:06","slug":"new-positions-highlight-eastmans-2-million-ut-engineering-commitment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tickle.utk.edu\/mae\/news\/new-positions-highlight-eastmans-2-million-ut-engineering-commitment\/","title":{"rendered":"New Positions Highlight Eastman\u2019s $2 Million UT Engineering Commitment"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, College of Engineering<\/a> and Eastman<\/a> have built upon the momentum of their partnership by naming two new professors of practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yan Xu, of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and\u00a0Matthew Young, of the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Biomedical Engineering, received the designation as part of the company\u2019s $2 million-plus commitment to the college.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEastman\u2019s collaboration with the College of Engineering is an excellent example of a successful partnership between business and education,\u201d said Etta Clark, Eastman\u2019s vice president of global public relations and policy.  \u201cBy developing a strong foundation, we are enabling students to be successful in the workforce.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Professor of practice positions are set up so that faculty can provide detailed hands-on education in specific areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Young\u2019s research is paving the way for advances in manufacturing that encourage innovative and productive critical thinking and problem solving\u2014 important skills in the modern business world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks to his selection, Young said, he has been able to give students practical instruction from his own experiences, train them in the latest tools of the trade and offer advice when asked about curriculum or career choices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI can focus on content selection, material delivery and assessments of selected courses at a level not possible before,\u201d said Young. \u201cI have been able to offer courses that emphasize computer-aided design (CAD) packages and techniques, helping our graduates become better equipped to make new contributions to their field and answer immediate industrial needs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Xu, whose expertise lies in the realm of power systems, her classes and research will help educate students about the most up-to-date ways of ensuring companies have their energy and electricity needs met.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEastman\u2019s partnership with our college continues to be valuable to students and faculty alike,\u201d said Leon Tolbert, head of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. \u201cHaving someone like Yan Xu on our faculty to provide real-world examples from her industrial career helps students to relate the theoretical material they are learning in class with practical engineering issues they will face in their careers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the departments and the college as a whole, Eastman\u2019s contributions continue to prove invaluable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Matthew Mench, head of the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Biomedical Engineering, pointed out how the impact of Young\u2019s selection is felt throughout the department.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe\u2019s developing a style, a prototype of applying basic practical knowledge that can be used in other classes,\u201d said Mench. \u201cHaving that helps our students know that they will graduate with a particular set of skills that place them ahead of people they are competing with for jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis opportunity came along at the perfect time and really fit in well with a need we had.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to the two positions\u2014and a third on the way in the Department of Chemical Engineering\u2014the company has funded a total overhaul of lab space in the Nathan W. Dougherty Engineering Building, the refurbishment of additional lab space, a new student lounge and summer programs. Eastman also continues to be a strong provider of paid co-op and internships for engineering students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Eastman, a Fortune 500 company based in Kingsport, Tennessee, the decision to partner with UT came naturally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEastman is committed to securing the best and brightest engineering graduates, and the entire region benefits from the economic impact of students graduating with advanced degrees and securing local jobs,\u201d said Clark. \u201cCombining our efforts helps us both succeed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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