On August 20th, the Heath IBEP’s newest cohort celebrated their acceptance into the program with the annual Kickoff Dinner. Mary Pile, program director, kicked off the event with a warm welcome. She was followed by the new dean of the Tickle College of Engineering, Janis Terpenny. Dean Terpenny expressed her positive impression of the program and her continued support. We also had the pleasure of Haslam College of Business Dean Mangum giving us a few words about his ongoing support and dedication to the program. The evening consisted of much networking taking place both before and after the dinner session.
Following dinner, student introductions took place and a few guest speakers had the opportunity to address the crowd. Ralph Heath, Ron Ford, and Michael Strickland each took the time to explain why this program is impactful and how it will benefit each student in the professional world. They each gave some anecdotal stories about their experience in business and engineering and how necessary a link between the two fields is. Michael reminded the new IBEP cohort that they have great futures in front of them, to stay dedicated, and to appreciate every opportunity they’re given. Overall the evening had a fantastic turnout and gave all of our new students the opportunity to meet everyone behind the program.