Difference Makers, December 2011

Several female engineers are interviewed and profiled in a recent article from the Chicago Sun-Times on “developing leaders of tomorrow.”

Tana L. Utley, IL D ’86, is currently chief technology officer and vice president at Caterpillar Inc. She has held a variety of engineering and management positions in her 20-plus years at Caterpillar. “She tells young engineers that they can enjoy not only an excellent salary, but also have a big impact on sustainability and next-generation technology initiatives.”

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For the first time in ten years, Michigan will add jobs in 2011. However, chairman emeritus of the Center for Automotive Research Dr. David E. Cole, MI G ’60, estimates “that the minimum education required for an assembly-line job is a two-year college degree. This could be a problem for a state that is “below-average performance in producing college grads.”

Read the full article for more information on Michigan’s economy.

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In a recent Business Insider article, Senior Vice President and co-founder of Knovel, Sasha Gurke, makes a case for why engineers make good business leaders.

The article cites historical engineering leaders and discusses the need for educational reform to include business and leadership training for engineers.

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