Materials Engineering Overview - Overview PDF - PowerPoint - Podcast

	1984 - BS Materials & Metallurgical Engineering, University of Michigan 1988 - MS Materials Science & Engineering, U. of Michigan 1994 - Ph.D. Materials Science & Engineering, U. of Michigan
	Research & Development
	"Get as much hands on experience as you can - lab work, coop, summer jobs, etc."

"It's a large corporation but you can make it work for you. I mean there are disadvantages because you still many times feel like a number, but then, over the years of service I feel like I've established a good reputation and I've made a number of contacts and I feel like I'm pretty well known in the materials community throughout G.M. So you just have to accept that and understand that you're one of many, there are ways to separate -- it is also a small world no matter how you look at it. So I think the disadvantage is just purely the size. And, of course, the advantages, because of the size, there are many more opportunities. You know, you can take assignments internationally or within the United States and there's so much just in the Detroit area, if I were to spend my whole career in the Detroit area, I could work in several different areas and stay within General Motors. So there's just a lot more exciting opportunities working for a large company."

"I found out, actually, several years after I hired on to G.M. how I got hired on at G.M. Because one day I just got a telegram asking me to interview at the tech center and I never asked for an interview. I never applied to G.M. at the tech center. So I was a little confused by that. I thought, this is great. This is something I think I'd like to do. And so I responded and ended up getting the job. And I found out years later it went back to a contact with one of the corporate leaders, which happened to be Bob Eaton, who worked for General Motors at that time, who now is at Chrysler. So I sat next to Bob at a banquet. G.M. had given U of M a couple of million dollars for some research and this was kind of a thank you dinner that U of M put on. And G.M. brought several of the top executives and invited some students and some professors to this gathering. And I sat next to Bob Eaton, not exactly knowing who he was at the time, and feeling very comfortable about talking to him because I didn't know his position. And he was impressed, I guess, and sent personnel out to find me and hired me."

"I keep very busy, but I find that I'm trying to clear off space so I can spend time with the family right now. I find it's a very difficult balance. I really want to spend time with the family, and they're definitely my number one priority, but you've always got career in the background and outside interests."

Typical Day

8:00 AM - Arrive at work, open mail, plan day, attend meetings (1-2 hours a day.)
9:00 AM - Meetings
10:00 AM - Meetings
11:00 AM - Lunch (30-45 minutes, usually with co-workers)
12:00 PM - Project work, one-on-one meetings.
1:00 PM - Project work, one-on-one meetings.
2:00 PM - Project work, one-on-one meetings.
3:00 PM - Project work, one-on-one meetings.
4:00 PM - Leave the office at 4:45 PM
7:00 PM - It's not as boring as it looks!

Career Experience:

• General Motors, Manufacturing Development & Project Engineer

Internships and Coops:

• 6/83-3/84- Coop, Federal Mogul

Honors and Awards: Vulcan Award for Leadership, Vulcan Scholarship for Leadership, GM PhD Fellowship

Best Preparation: "My education at The University of Michigan undergraduate curriculum, especially the lab classes."

Getting First Job: "Met a GM executive at a banquet where I was asked to attend & represent the student body as I was president of the engineering student council. His staff later called me for an interview."

Advice: "Get as much "hands on" experience as you can. (lab work, coop, summer jobs, etc.)"

Memberships: The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society

Download Full Profile as PDF