Maurice Ewing
Q. What does your company do?
A. Economic development for Union County, North Carolina.
Q. What academic degrees do you hold?
A. B.S. in Economics and Business from Appalachian State University, 1969.
Q. What is the purpose of the board of advisors?
A. The board is the connection between the business/engineering “real” world and the academic environment of the university. This is a vital connection that should be enhanced, encouraged and expanded.
Q. What changes have you seen in the college and UNC Charlotte?
A. Extraordinary growth and improvement in every aspect of engineering education.
Q. What is exciting at the college?
A. To see an ever-growing number of students select the Lee College for their engineering education. It is the key to returning this country to a value-added, producer nation, rather than continuing the value draining consumer-based economy.
Q. What do you see in the future for the college?
A. A growing enrollment, a growing research environment, a growing reputation for excellence in education, a better faculty recruiting environment, and an even greater atmosphere of ephemeralization.
Q. What are your thought about the football team?
A. Since I have no skin in the game really, so I should not be second guessing this decision, but frankly I was not pleased by the decision. I realize the value of athletics in terms of fundraising student recruiting, school spirit. I also see a strong NCAAesque athletic program as a rite of passage for a “real” university. On the other hand, I’m more interested in the university’s commitment to academics, academic scholarships and the preparation of our next generation of leaders and workers rather than the costs and agonizing struggles of a startup football team. But that’s the opinion of the unqualified, and un-credentialed. Go Niner’s!!!
Your Career
Q. Why did you become an engineer?
A. I’m not one. I could never grasp the slide rule.
Q. What skills have been important in your career?
A. The gift of gab and a sales mentality.
Q. What is the most exciting project you ever worked on?
A. The current one…Project Legacy.
Q. What is the best career advice anyone ever gave you?
A. Know thyself. Listen for the quite voice within. Follow the path that is right for you. Never let family, tradition, imagined career environment, or money drive what you do for a living. In the end, you will not be defined by what you do, but rather by the values to which you adhere.
Q. What do you like best about your job?
A. Every day it is different.
Hiring Engineers
Q. What is your company looking for in new engineers?
A. Skills are important, but the single most important thing you can ever learn is how to communicate your thoughts to others.
Q. How valuable is an advanced degree?
A. In any field, not just engineering, an advanced degree is an imperative. Do not avoid continuing education. Credentials are your ticket to ride.
Experience with the College of Engineering
Q. How have you enjoyed your involvement with the college?
A. I very much enjoy being around a successful and supported university program. I enjoy even more being around the ever increasing number of bright youngsters. It gives me hope for the future of our region, our university and our nation.
Q. What growth areas do you see in the college?
A. Areas like metrology, perhaps motor sports (not the NASCAR part…the automotive engineering part), and other disciplines that have immediate application for our economy.
Importance of Community Involvement
Q. What importance does your company place on community involvement?
A. That’s what we are all about.
Q. What importance do you place on the giving back to the community?
A. It’s important.
Research and Centers
Q. What are your thoughts on the value of university research?
A. I do not know enough about that, but I do not feel good about reducing resources for academics in favor of research. Research should be either for academic purposes or completely paid for by the industries or funding sources that directly benefit.