Lindsay Anderson (left) and Robert Marley, dean of engineering at MSU.
Photo: Linda Wyckoff
Boeing recruits MSU engineers and business professionals
by Jean Arthur
Every 5.3 seconds, a Boeing 737 takes off or lands somewhere in the world. Every spring, several MSU College of Engineering and College of Business graduates take off and land jobs among Boeing's 156,000 employees worldwide.
Currently about 500 Boeing employees are MSU graduates. Sixty percent of those alumni are engineering grads, 12 percent business, 6 percent information technology and 22 percent a mix of other MSU degrees.
MSU alumnus Helene Michael, '85 MET, knows MSU's reputation for producing solid engineers firsthand.
"Boeing hired a large percentage of the 1985 mechanical engineering technology graduating class due to an upturn in the industry as well as the great reputation the graduates from MSU have here at Boeing," said Michael. As the 737 factory superintendent, she is responsible for the final assembly and installation of the 737 aircraft.
She explained that practical skills and application together with engineering fundamentals make a sound foundation for working at an engineering/manufacturing company such as Boeing, which hired 5,400 people last year. A certain esprit de corps attracts Boeing recruiters to the Bozeman campus.
"Boeing recruits at MSU because we have a very good success rate over many years," said Lindsay Anderson,'83 ChE , Boeing's director of field operations and delivery of the signature commercial aircraft, the 737. The Bozeman native is a member of the College of Engineering's Industry Advisory Council and returns to campus for recruiting fairs and consultative sessions.
"The education from MSU puts the grads on standard to compete with any other engineer, but what is most commonly noted is the work ethic of MSU grads," said Jeff Sipes,'86 MET, a Boeing systems engineer from Stevensville. "Many of the students worked on farms or had jobs to pay their way through college. The strong work ethic and Montana courtesy make them successful at Boeing."
The College of Business' Renee Wachter, associate dean of academic affairs, agrees.
"We hear from Boeing that the College of Business students possess a rare combination of integrity and strong work ethic with sound business skills," said Wachter. "At our latest meeting, it was noted that many schools produce graduates who carry with them into the workplace a sense of entitlement. On the contrary, it was noted that MSU grads are diligent, take initiative and carry out their work responsibly."
Boeing supports MSU in many ways. Several Boeing personnel serve on industrial advisory boards in the Colleges of Engineering and Business. The company provides scholarships to top students. It established a fund for an endowed professorship in engineering in the 1990s, and that fund is still growing and supporting strategic initiatives. Boeing presents real-life design problems for engineering's multidisciplinary capstone design class. It provides research money at MSU and offers corporate donations and employee matching of donations to the university's fund-raising initiatives. Boeing also provides student internships in areas such as accounting, design, manufacturing, information technology and other areas.
"The long-standing relationship between the Boeing Company and Montana State University is as strong as any industry-university partnership I've seen anywhere in the country," said Robert Marley, dean of engineering. "MSU engineers and computer scientists are among the most highly regarded employees at Boeing, as witnessed by the company's own internal tracking of career progression. These employees and former students are very loyal to MSU as well. They give of themselves and help arrange for equipment donations and research support. I've been to several Seattle area facilities, and it's hard to visit any office suite without running into someone's office decorated in blue and gold."
(Clockwise from lower left) Ken Christiansen, Dan Long, Tim Tough, Perry Moore, Jeff Sypes, John Denzer, Mark Jenkins, Terry, Tritz, Paul Fussell, Robert Marley, John Tubbesing, Michael Stuven and Lindsay Andersen.