Winter 2004

Alumni Speak Out

What I Gained From My UT Engineering Degree

Rick Castello,  B.S.Ch.E., ‘86  Development Director, Dow Chemical

 The obvious benefit of my degree is it enables me to make a living, but this explanation does not do justice to the career opportunities it has provided to me over the last 23 years with Dow. In addition to my paycheck, it opened the door to a multi-faceted career in the world of plastics—if not for it I would never have had the opportunity to manage and develop new/existing global businesses, help create unique polymers and polymer processes, meet a myriad of interesting people, and lastly see the world. In a word, it gave me CHOICES.

Shannon Dunphy, M.S.B.M.E., M.P.A., ‘02  Junior Program Analyst, Department of Energy-Office of Science

 I wanted to apply my knowledge to the betterment of society. I liked the idea of making decisions and I liked people even more. So I combined my biomedical engineering background with healthcare/medical policy studies and I graduated from UT with a dual master’s degree. Now I live in the nation’s capital, and I really like what I do.

Ralph Ferrell, B.S.Ch.E.,  ‘61; Ph.D.Ch.E., ‘86  Retired CEO, Vista Chemical Co. 

My engineering degrees from The University of Texas at Austin have had a major positive impact on me and my family. The prestige of a chemical engineering degree from UT Austin opened doors of opportunity that would have otherwise remained locked. The skills gained provided me a competitive advantage in the world of engineering and business. Payoff—a positive lifestyle beyond my greatest childhood dreams.

Steven Harrison,  B.S.E.E., ‘97  Southwest Group Manager, National Instruments

 I consider the ability to solve problems as part of a team to be the most important aspect of what my degree represents. An engineering student must learn to use fundamental principles to move from a problem to a solution. This is invaluable, even if the problems we encounter in the “real world” are not always as simply stated (or solved) as those in textbooks. This problem-solving is usually collaborative. I was fortunate at UT to work with some very bright people. Many of them had different backgrounds than I had previously known. This was excellent preparation for my career as an engineer.

Jeff Kobes,  B.S.A.S.E., ‘94  Minister, Great Commission Ministries

 Many people I meet feel I have wasted my UT engineering degree because I work as a pastor, but I have to respectfully disagree. Though working in full-time ministry is a far cry from engineering, I think my degree was an indirect yet significant help in preparing me for this vocation. It both honed my problem solving skills (though I deal more with spiritual problems than physical), as well as provided a base understanding that there exists a comprehensible Divine plan and structure for the world in which we live. And it goes without saying that receiving this degree taught me that being successful in anything requires a lot of work and effort.

Nathan Lewis,  B.S.E.E., ‘77  Advisory Engineer, IBM

 It opened doors of opportunity that otherwise would have been inaccessible. My 26 years with IBM and the contributions I’ve made are due in large part to the quality education I received from UT’s College of Engineering. Finally, my engineering professionalism inspired my older daughter to major in and earn her bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering in 2001 from Texas A&M University. I couldn’t ask for a better compliment to a 26-year career.

Jeremy Segers,  B.S.A.S.E., ‘93  Production Manager, Pemstar Inc.

 One word comes to mind: opportunity. Looking back over the past 10 years since graduation I can see many doors that opened as a result of my accomplishments at UT; specifically, earning my bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering. Moreover, the life experiences I gained while earning my degree have prepared me to walk through those doors.

Rex Tillerson,  B.S.C.E., ‘75  Executive Vice President, ExxonMobil

 Earning an engineering degree, particularly from a prestigious institution such as The University of Texas at Austin, provided access to career opportunities and choices I would not have otherwise enjoyed. Working for ExxonMobil Corporation, where technology is the lifeblood of our success, requires a solid grounding in sciences and engineering. That solid technical foundation, along with the “engineering approach” to problem analysis, continues to serve me well in essentially all aspects of business decision making today.

Chris Tomescu,  B.S.C.E., ‘99  Highway Design Engineer in Training, Carter and Burgess

 It has given me the opportunity to use my technical abilities to benefit the traveling public, and has provided a foundation that helps me find solutions to various problems that arise during the life of a project. My degree has also given me a sense of accomplishment through hard work. It has taught me more than just engineering principles, but how to think, how to express ideas, and how to persevere. 

Shahid Ullah,  B.S.P.E., ‘82  President, Randall and Dewey UK Ltd.

 My engineering degree has given me the ability to solve problems, not only in technical fronts, but in everyday life. As an engineer, I am able to generate profits for my company as well as make a difference to the communities we work in. My engineering degree allowed me to get a great job, which provides me with a very good living. My job allows me to travel the world, help people and communities and make a difference. In summary, my engineering degree means the world to me as I am having fun, making money and helping others. What else can one ask for?