Testimonial

Lance Willis

[Ph.D. ME 1999]
Motorola, Inc.
Plantation, Florida

After completing my Ph.D. at the Woodruff School, I went to work in the Acoustic Technology Center at Motorola where I solve design problems related to acoustics and vibration and develop design tools to aid product engineers in the acoustical design of our radios, wireless phones, and wireless accessories. Since leaving the Woodruff School I have seen firsthand that an engineering degree from Georgia Tech is highly respected in industry.

One thing that Georgia Tech is particularly good at is attracting talented faculty, not only in the Woodruff school, but in other disciplines as well. In addition to my advisor, Dr. Yves Berthelot, I learned a great deal from the faculty in other schools such as Dr. Gene Patronis in Physics who provided many valuable lessons in electro-acoustic design and Dr. Lawrence Jacobs in Civil Engineering who supplemented my advisor's expertise in laser-based vibration measurement. Engineers who can combine skills from several disciplines to solve problems are very valuable in the workplace.

Interacting with the faculty both inside and outside of the Woodruff School has been invaluable to my career at Motorola by providing a strong basis in mechanical engineering while allowing me to integrate other aspects of the total design.

Another advantage of the graduate program in the Woodruff School is the almost unlimited freedom allowed in choosing a curriculum. My career in audio acoustics is outside of the mainstream. However, I was able to assemble coursework specifically oriented toward my career goals, including independent study in special topics of my choice to take advantage of the special skills of the Georgia Tech faculty in a one on one setting.