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The University of Tennessee College of Engineering 114 Perkins Hall Knoxville, TN 37996-2012 |
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| Newsletter
of the UT College of Engineering |
Alumni Profile |
Joseph C. Cook Jr.
Returning the Rewards
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| Joseph C. Cook Jr. |
"I was a co-op student when I began college," Cook recalled. "Money in our family was short. I remember the excitement I felt when I received an alumni scholarship for $250. This seemed like a big amount to me. I remember thinking at the time, 'I wonder who was kind enough to set money aside for me to attend UT?' It really made an impression. I hoped to someday return this giftand more so that someone else could benefit as I had."
A Chattanooga, Tenn. native, Cook was the first in his family to attend college, and he had little idea of what to expect when he arrived in Knoxville. He was overwhelmed at first.
"I remember my reaction to the enormous size of the campus and worrying about how I was going to get grounded and feel at home," Cook commented. "However, I found two things that helped me tremendously. One was joining a fraternity, Phi Gamma Delta, and the other was finding a place in the College of Engineering."
Although Cook's Greek organization offered friendship and opportunities for fun, he says the fraternity also emphasized scholarship, and he was encouraged to pay attention to his studies.
The faculty at the COE also impressed him as they quickly demonstrated an interest in him as a person as well as a student.
"One thing in particular that I noted was that most of the engineering faculty had practical work experience. They had learned life lessons on the job," Cook said. "The professors that I came into contact with really helped to shape my future career."
Cook started his college years with the idea of becoming an electrical engineer. He had enjoyed his hobby as a ham radio operator and was interested in electronic circuits and equipment. However, he eventually decided to change his engineering major to industrial engineering.
"I wanted to work with complex situations where I would be involved with people and planning," Cook explained. "The IE curriculum seemed more suited to my career goals."
Cook graduated with honors from UT in 1965, earning a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering. He was also selected as a UT Torchbearer.
His second reason for his dedication to UT is the fact that the placement office launched him into his future career field.
"The UT Placement Office sent me to Eli Lilly," Cook recalled. "I didnŐt know the company at allŃI even asked if they made drinking cups! However, as a result of that interview, I took a position with Eli Lilly and Company Pharmaceuticals and it lasted for 28 years."
During his tenure at Eli Lilly, Cook held numerous positions including head of engineering, vice-president of sales and marketing and general manager of one of Lilly's worldwide business units, head of global information technology and systems and vice-president of production; he was also chief financial officer for the Elanco Products Company. In 1993, he retired as group vice president for global manufacturing, engineering and corporate quality for Lilly.
During his tenure with Lilly, he spent one year in Washington, D.C. working for the federal government on the President's Executive Exchange Program, where he served as director of administration for the U.S. International Trade Commission. After his retirement, Cook started a second career as a strategy consultant to over 30 companies in the biotechnology industry. After leaving Lilly, he was also asked to join the board of directors .
"I wanted to build on my Lilly experience by applying engineering skills to the field of pharmaceutical research and biotechnology product development," Cook said. "I believe that engineering principles provide an ideal way to discriminate and discern ideas and to organize very complex and lengthy programs or projects, especially within small, fast-growing companies."
Cook became chairman and chief executive officer of Amylin in March of 1998. He also serves as a chairman of the board of Microbia, Inc., a Cambridge, Mass. based biotechnology company working in the area of fungal genomics. He is also a director of Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in the U.S. Cook has also been active in many start-up companies and is a founder of Clinical Products Ltd.; Life Science Advisors LLC; Cambrian Associates LLC; and Mountain Ventures, Inc.
Although Cook's successful career has kept him busy, he has also found time to serve in many significant roles with nonprofit organizations which currently include the UT COE Advisory Board, the American Diabetes Association Research Foundation Board and the Board of Trustees for the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary.
In 1999, he was awarded the Nathan W. Dougherty Award by the COE. Cook and his wife, Judy, are residents of Black Mountain, NC but also spend time in San Diego. They have two grown children, Christine Cooke Singleton and Joseph Campbell Cook III. In 1997, the Cooks established the Judith E. and Joseph C. Cook Jr. Engineering Scholarship Endowment at the UT College of Engineering.
"Our decision to start a scholarship fund was based upon our belief that we are entrusted to be good stewards of our resources," Cook commented. "I think an essential part of any steward's plan should be to "reinvest" some portion of his or her financial resources in higher education. Most achievements can be directly tied to one's education and early life development. All of us have benefited from our forbearers' commitment to public education. Now, with the tax systems under extreme pressure, more is needed from the private sector if we are to keep these great land grant institutions open to all who are qualified to attend. And we as graduates have a special responsibility to assist both now and in the future."
Cook also sees the COE endowment as a way of returning the investment that he received during his college years.
"I think the education of engineers is one of the most important responsibilities of institutions of higher learning," Cook added. "Engineers are involved in making technology a tool to improve the quality of life. I like to think of engineering as a key investment we must make so the natural and unstoppable progress of technology can serve our world responsibly. "
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Story by Kim Cowart
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