Haslam College of Business - Aerospace and Defense Leaders Discuss Research, Meet Students at Haslam

More than 20 prominent leaders from industry recently came together at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Haslam College of Business for the college’s annual Aerospace and Defense Advisory Board meeting.

Dan Stewart, UT’s assistant vice president for research, Bruce Behn, associate dean, and Andy White, director of the Aerospace and Defense Business Institute at Haslam, discussed the college’s service to the industry as well as its capabilities and plans to expand relationships and work opportunities. Board members provided feedback on program design and the industry’s needs for business education and research.

Advisory board members include representatives from corporations and organizations including Boeing, Lockheed Martin, the United States Air Force, Eaton Aerospace, Iridium, ATK, Pratt & Whitney, Jacobs Technology, the Tennessee Valley Corridor and numerous small businesses.

In addition to the board’s business meeting, industry leaders met twice with students from three of the college’s graduate programs during their time in Knoxville in mid-April. The student-focused meetings provide excellent exposure for Haslam students, said Behn. “These boards provide great opportunities to showcase our students and their talents and to introduce them to our friends in government and industry,” said Behn. “These relationships are a very important part of how we serve society and our students.”

The college launched the Aerospace and Defense Business Institute in January to integrate industry outreach and synergies between research and teaching efforts. Haslam has carried out more than $58 million of applied research for the Air Force in the last decade and delivers executive education programs to the industry both in Knoxville and worldwide. The Aerospace and Defense MBA program has graduated more than 250 of the industry’s top leaders in the same period.

“Thirteen years ago members of this advisory board helped launch the college’s focus on this industry,” said White. “Today, the group continues to provide invaluable counsel and support. This year we expanded our board a bit to ensure we heard from every sector, and it made for a more effective meeting. Their input helps to make our teaching and research more relevant and valuable for all our stakeholders.”