For release April 19, 2006
RECENT GRADUATE SAYS UTSI PROVIDED ‘TOOLS’ NEEDED FOR TODAY’S
COMPETITIVE CHALLENGES
Andrew Thompson is convinced that his master’s degree in Industrial
Engineering from The University of Tennessee Space Institute “directly
prepared me with tools needed for today’s challenges of a vigorous and
competitive business industry.”
He sees a recent promotion with Shaw Industries headquartered in
Ringgold, Ga., as further evidence of the value of his graduate work,
which led to the degree he received in December. Dr. Max L. Hailey,
associate professor, who has headed the Institute’s Engineering
Management program in recent years, was Thompson’s adviser.
“It was always a delight having Andrew in class,” Hailey said. “His work
life and ‘war stories’ from Shaw enhanced the classroom discussion and
the learning for both me and the other students. We look forward to
Andrew being an ambassador for our program.”
In a letter to Dr. Greg Sedrick, professor of Industrial and Information
Engineering at UTSI, Thompson wrote: “My recent job promotion to Plant
Industrial Engineering Manager of Shaw Plant LM (Hardwood/Laminate) in
Ringgold, came as a direct result of achieving my master’s degree. In
particular, it stemmed from the direct work that I performed on my
Capstone Thesis. Management saw my post-graduate education as a huge
positive that immediately separated me in the interviewing process from
other already well qualified candidates.”
An employee of Shaw plants for more than 12 years, Thompson has worked
as Quality Engineer at Shaw Plant 24 in Winchester for the last six and
a half years. Before that he worked at Shaw Plant 44 in Ringgold as a
Senior Process Engineer. He will assume his duties at the LM plant in
Ringgold April 24.
“Through work related to my master’s degree, I learned to develop
statistically based business information systems to be used throughout
the plant, but primarily in the Quality Control Department,” Thompson
said.
He says that his experience at UTSI did not simply “supplement my
bachelor’s degree but directly prepared me with tools I need. The
master’s degree gave me a leg up on the competition, both on paper and
more importantly in head knowledge.” He believes his latest promotion
“will serve as a launching board for other opportunities for me in the
Hardwood Division within the next three years.”
Dr. Sedrick, founder and director of The New Economy Institute, said
Thompson’s story “is encouraging to those of us involved in the Space
Institute’s Engineering Management program. His success reflects well on
Dr. Hailey and the program he has helped nurture. Andrew’s project was
on Shaw’s quality and reliability system. He used a database system to
create a quality monitoring system.”
Thompson resides in Manchester with his son Jayden. Born in Fort
Oglethorpe, Ga., he is son of Hubert (Buck) C. and Jacqueline Thompson
of Bone Cave in Van Buren County.
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