KNOXVILLE –- The University of Tennessee’s College of Business Administration is partnering with leading aerospace publication “Aviation Week and Space Technology” to provide continuing education programs for aerospace and defense professionals.
“UT is the gold standard for developing graduate-level programs and courses capable of giving aerospace and defense executives the knowledge that they need to help their organizations — both government-operated and private sector — compete more effectively,” said Tony Velocci, editor of “Aviation Week and Space Technology.”
“As the partnership evolves, it can address the immense challenges facing the entire aerospace/defense industry.”
Alex Miller, associate dean of UT’s executive education programs, said UT is uniquely qualified to provide this training.
“Among the nation’s business schools, UT has by far, the most extensive set of research and teaching programs focused on the aerospace and defense industry,” Miller said. “We are responding to our country’s needs by expanding our leadership role in this area and by committing resources to the business issues that are crucial to a vital security and defense.
“We are proud of our association with the nation’s No. 1 aerospace ‘voice’ with its abilities to bring advanced educational tools to the widest possible aerospace audience,” Miller said. “Our two organizations have been running parallel courses in striving to invigorate, revitalize and preserve our nation’s endangered aerospace industry.”
As a result of the partnership, two forums have been planned. A November forum in Arizona will focus on improving aircraft maintenance processes and a December forum in Washington, D.C., will focus on performance-based logistics contracting.
“We need knowledge-management programs that can help stem the loss of expertise caused by repeated cycles of budget cuts, downsizing and an aging workforce,” Velocci said. “Such losses represent cracks in the foundation of U.S. aerospace. Finding and facilitating solutions to this looming crisis would be worthy goal of the ‘Aviation Week’-UT partnership.”
In addition to this new continuing education partnership, the college offers the Aerospace MBA program and several non-degree short courses developed specifically to address the lean, supply chain and maintenance and repair challenges faced by the aerospace and defense industry. The college also houses the innovative Aerospace and Defense Clearinghouse of Tennessee (AD TN), an essential resource for the aerospace and defense industry. By serving as the hub in a network that links aerospace and defense companies needing training and development with universities and faculties who can provide that training, the clearinghouse plays a central role in helping the industry.
—
Contacts:
Cindy Raines, (865) 974-4359, craines1@utk.edu
Susan Blackwood, (212) 904-2285, susan_blackwood@aviationweek.com
Amy Blakely, (865) 974-5034, amy.blakely@tennessee.edu