Sibley School announces formation of Advisory Council

David Erickson, Sibley College Professor and the SC Thomas Sze Director of Cornell’s Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE), has announced the formation of the Sibley School Advisory Council after a more-than-twenty year absence.

“This is an idea that has been percolating for a long time,” says Erickson. “A key part of our mission as New York’s land grant institution is to contribute meaningfully to the common good. Ensuring that we are truly impacting the common good requires us to engage beyond the academy. Most of our graduates go on to work in industry—and industry is where scientific discovery is put into practice at a scale that can truly make an impact.”

The new Sibley School Advisory Council will convene for the first time on May 1, 2020 on the Cornell campus. The inaugural members include four high-level academic researchers, (from Georgia Tech, UCLA, Case Western Reserve, and Yale), and eleven industry representatives from a diverse array of fields, (see full membership roster below.)

Erickson explains that the formation of an Advisory Council is part of a larger plan to increase industrial engagement at the Sibley School. “We see opportunities to increase the number of collaborations and research partnerships we have with industry,” says Erickson, “while at the same time providing our students the ‘real world’ experience they clamor for.”

Council member Mark Schuster ’92, who earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, sees the formation of the Advisory Council as a win for Cornell Engineering and an excellent way for the ASML Corporation to engage with the Sibley School. ASML is the world’s largest supplier of photolithography equipment to the semiconductor industry and Schuster is a Director of Engineering—Mechatronics at ASML’s Fairfield, Connecticut operation.

“As a Cornell Mechanical Engineering grad, I’m honored to be invited to serve on the MAE Advisory Council,” says Schuster. “My company makes some of the most advanced machines on the planet, requiring the brightest students from the top engineering programs. I’m proud to say that we hire more Mechanical Engineers from Cornell then from any other school. Any feedback I can provide to further optimize the program will benefit the school, the students, and hopefully my own future staff.”

Another Sibley School alumnus and Advisory Council member, Richard Aubrecht ’66, M.S. ’67, Ph.D. ’69, says that joining the council gives him another way to contribute to his alma mater. “I have been a member of the Engineering College Council for 35 years, a member of the previous MAE Advisory Board for 6 years, and a Cornell Trustee/Trustee Emeritus since 1992,” says Aubrecht. “Over that time Moog Inc. has contributed in many ways to support MAE's facilities, research, and Project Teams. Through these affiliations, I have acquired knowledge of Cornell's innovations, Strategic Plans, governance, processes, etc.  This background will enable me to contribute to the plans for evolving MAE. With my experience in Strategic Planning, I can help facilitate the updating of the MAE Strategic Plan.”

Aubrecht worked at Moog as a Vice President for Strategy and Technology and as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Erickson is thrilled the new Advisory Council will be meeting this spring. “Our members come from a diverse set of fields and all share the wish to deepen relationships between the Sibley School and their companies or industries,” says Erickson. “This can only make us stronger as a school and as a college.”

Sibley School Advisory Council, Inaugural Members 2019-2020

Aubrecht, Richard A., Vice President, Strategy and Technology, Moog, Inc
 
Christy, Ken, Portfolio Manager, Navy Enterprise and Sea Systems (NESS), the Mitre Corporation

Fisher, Timothy, Professor and Director of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, UCLA Samueli School of Engineering
 
Garcia, Andres, Executive Director, Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience; George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering Regents Professor
 
Funari, Robert G., Chairman and CEO at Crescent Healthcare

Heller, David, CEO, Heller Industries

Krishnan, Mekala, Leader, McKinsey Global Institute’s research on gender economics, inclusive growth, and economic development
 
Lashley Renison, Hilary, Senior Business Development Manager, GE
 
Monaghan, Matthew Edward, Chairman/President/CEO Invacare Corp
 
Murphy, Tara, CEO, Vermont Smoke & Cure

Rimnac, Clare, Distinguished University Professor, Wilbert J. Austin Professor of Engineering, Case Western Reserve University
 
Rushmeier, Holly, John C. Malone Professor of Computer Science, Yale University
 
Schuster, Mark, Director of Engineering, ASML
 
Vaughn, Dan, Manager of External Technology Collaborations and Intellectual Assets - Corning Incorporated
 
Wood, Brett G., President and CEO, Toyota Material Handling North America