Tennessee Tech Tomorrow
Endowed Faculty
If we are to build the Tennessee Tech of tomorrow, we must invest resources to attract the best and brightest faculty to our university. A concerted effort is needed to increase the number of endowed faculty positions or chairs of excellence across the campus. These esteemed faculty positions represent the top leading scholars in their fields of study. Attracting these types of faculty not only raises the university’s profile, but also brings in private and corporate funding for specialized research initiatives.
Just as it is vital to recruit and retain the best students, so too must we recruit and retain faculty who are experts in their fields. We have high expectations that our faculty will teach, lead, research and inspire. Finding those who possess this combination of skills is no easy task. To remain competitive in the research arena, we must act now to raise the necessary funds to establish more of these endowed faculty positions. These investments will enrich Tech's educational experience and help our students better prepare to boldly make their mark in the world.
Dr. Gerald (Jerry) Gannod is the Harry C. Stonecipher Distinguished Professor and Chair in the Department of
Computer Science at Tennessee Tech University. His research interests include Software
Engineering, Agile Software Development, Agile Instruction, Enterprise Computing,
Mobile Computing, Data Science, Analytics, and Machine Learning. Dr. Gannod received
his Ph.D. in Computer Science from Michigan State University in 1998 under the direction
of Dr. Betty H.C. Cheng. His industrial experience includes a stint with the Suncorp
Group, Unisys Corporation and IBM. His projects have been supported by AFRL, NSF,
NASA Langley, NASA IV&V Center, Intel and Motorola (via the Consortium for Embedded
Systems), and the Institute for Manufacturing and Enterprise Systems. Prior to joining
Tennessee Tech, Dr. Gannod was a professor at Miami University and an assistant professor
at Arizona State University. Dr. Gannod’s favorite pastimes include following his
favorite sports teams (Detroit Redwings, Detroit Tigers, Michigan State Spartans,
and Detroit Pistons) and playing guitar (Taylor, Takamine, and Ibanez guitars).
"It is a great honor to be the Harry C. Stonecipher Professor of Distinction. I feel a sense of responsibility to uphold the legacy of excellence of Tennessee Tech while carrying the banner of innovation and community in service of this great institution. This is a responsibility that I believe all of my colleagues bear; I just have the pleasure of being the steward of the endowment for however long I am called to do so. It is my hope and prayer that I can serve in a manner that makes the Tennessee Tech community proud."
