The Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Biomedical Engineering recently added three new members to its Hall of Fame, including a former department head, a former high-ranking official of the Boeing Company, and the current chief operating officer of the Southern Company.
Joel Bailey, Howard Chambers, and Kimberly Greene, respectively, joined last year’s inaugural class of four and were honored with a presentation at the department’s office in the Nathan W. Dougherty Engineering Building and a dinner at the Foundry.
“This new class of inductees again sets a perfect example for our current students to follow and to understand what kind of career and life are possible with a degree from our department,” said department head Matthew Mench. “Students walking by the wall with all of the class members will see the wide variety of paths available to them while at the same time learning some of the history of the department.”
Begun in 1847 as a course in mechanical philosophies and mechanics, the department has a 170-year history that predates even UT, as the university was then known as East Tennessee University.
The 2016 class:
Joel F. Bailey
Bailey received mechanical engineering degrees from Purdue University and Lehigh University before joining UT’s faculty in 1949.
He served as head of the department from 1952 to 1973.
In 1956, Bailey helped establish the graduate study program at the Arnold Engineering Development Center in Tullahoma, now known as the UT Space Institute, and served as its first director.
In 1967, Bailey was named an Alumni Distinguished Professor.
He was also instrumental in the founding of the Pi Tau Sigma engineering honor society chapter at UT. The society’s award to the senior in mechanical engineering with the highest average is named in his honor.
During his career, he also held academic positions at Lehigh University, Oregon State College, and Northwestern University.
Howard E. Chambers
Howard Chambers graduated from UT with a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering in 1964.
He served with the Boeing Company for many decades and played critical roles on some of their highest-profile projects before retiring in 2011.
While at Boeing, he was vice president and deputy program manager of the 787 program, vice president and general manager of space and intelligence systems for Boeing’s Integrated Defense Systems, chairman of the board of Boeing Satellite Systems International Inc., and chairman of the board and CEO of Boeing Satellite Systems Inc.
He also served as chairman of the board of Spectrolab Inc. and has received the 2002 Amelia Earhart Award for mentoring, the 2009 Nathan Dougherty Award for the College of Engineering, and the 2015 UT Alumni Service Award.
He also served on the College of Engineering Board of Advisors, where he is now an emeritus member.
Kimberly S. Greene
Kimberly Greene earned her bachelor’s degree in what was then known as engineering science and mechanics—now mechanical engineering—in 1988.
She went to work at Southern Company in 1991 and has enjoyed a successful career with the energy giant, including serving as vice president of finance and treasurer.
From 2007 to 2013, Greene worked for TVA, serving as chief financial officer, executive vice president of financial services, and chief risk officer before returning to Southern Company as president and CEO of Southern Company Services.
Greene became chief operating officer and executive vice president of Southern Company in 2014. She was named to the list of “Top 25 Power Women to Watch” by Atlanta Woman magazine and named Power-Gen’s 2015 Woman of the Year.
She serves on the advisory board for both the UT College of Engineering and the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Engineering.
Greene is a member of the Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame and a recipient of the UT Distinguished Alumni Award.
Those three join the 2015 inductees—former Chancellor William Snyder, former astronaut Henry Hartsfield, former American Society of Mechanical Engineers president Richard Rosenberg, and longtime Chrysler Corporation fixture Rinehart Bright—in the hall.
To be considered for inclusion, inductees must have earned a degree from the department and actively collaborate with UT, have at least ten years of experience, and have demonstrated practical or leadership contributions to the department.
Additionally, honorees need to have been honored for work in their field by recognized organizations and cannot be active university faculty.
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C O N T A C T :
David Goddard (865-974-0683, david.goddard@utk.edu)