LEIGHTON E. SISSOM
INNOVATION AND CREATIVITY AWARD
The Award was initiated by the Tech Board of Engineering Advisors to honor Dr. Leighton E. Sissom. Dr. Sissom grew up in Manchester , Tennessee and earned a B.S. degree in Industrial Arts from Middle Tennessee State University in 1956. He then earned a BSME from Tennessee Technological University in 1962 and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees, both in Mechanical Engineering, in 1964 and 1965 from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Sissom joined the Mechanical Engineering faculty in 1958 and rose through the academic ranks serving as Departmental Chairperson for thirteen years (1965-79) and then as Dean of Engineering for nine years (1979-88). He retired from the University as Professor of Mechanical Engineering in June of 1989 after thirty years of service.
During his tenure as Dean of Engineering, graduate enrollment doubled; three State-funded Centers of Excellence were established; the College's budget grew from two to ten million dollars; a Minority Engineering Program was established; the faculty cadre increased by fifty percent; the Industrial Technology program was accredited by the National Association of Industrial Technology; and a College development program was initiated.
Dr. Sissom was very active in professional societies. Particularly notable are his service to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Tau Beta Pi, the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology and the American Society for Engineering Education.
The Award
The Leighton E. Sissom Innovation and Creativity Award will recognize scholarship, methodology, invention, technique, processes, or other unique contributions. The Award will be presented annually to the individual (faculty member, administrator, student, secretary, technician, engineer, etc.) associated with the College of Engineering 's Engineering Executive Staff.
The Endowment
The Award shall be funded by an endowment established by the Board of Engineering Advisors, Tech alumni, and friends and colleagues of Dr. Sissom. The endowment shall be administered through the Engineering Development Foundation. The principal shall be invested under the direction of the University's Chief Fiscal Officer, the Treasurer of the Engineering Development Foundation, in a manner which will provide the highest possible return while preserving the security of the fund.
The earnings (interest, dividends, etc.) from the endowment shall be dispersed as follows:
- Ninety percent (90%) shall be used directly for the Award.
September 12, 1991
