Ralph & Janet Heath Launch Integrated Business and Engineering Program at Alma Mater
During his nearly 40 years in the aerospace industry at Lockheed Martin, Ralph D. Heath gained a deep appreciation for the intricate connections between the technical and business worlds. Now he’s helping share that understanding with students at the University of Tennessee through a gift to launch the Integrated Business and Engineering Program.
During his career, he experienced firsthand the need for strong communication between product developers and business strategists. “It’s been clear to me that integration between the business and engineering disciplines is essential to the success of any company,” observed Heath.
As a member of the University of Tennessee’s Advisory Boards for both Haslam College of Business and Tickle College of Engineering, Heath worked with the University to create a new cross-disciplinary learning experience for undergraduate students. Through the Integrated Business and Engineering Program, a group of 20 to 30 students will spend three years studying how to apply engineering processes in a business setting. The Program will be funded through the Ralph and Janet Heath Fund at the North Texas Community Foundation.
