Lecturer
Department of Engineering Fundamentals
Contact Information
- 260K Zeanah Engineering Complex
- Phone: 865-974-9992
- E-mail: laknight@utk.edu
- executive management for a large, heavy manufacturing company,
- engineering support for a local start-up processing facility,
- adult/STEM education in the workplace,
- engineering and project management for four locations of a large metal fabricator,
- products liability, design, and quality roles, including expert witness, for a consumer products manufacturer,
- manufacturing programs and team-based operations development and coordination for a large commodity manufacturer, and
- research support for an injury prevention institute.
- Student Success
- First Year Engineering Education
- Community Outreach and Engagement
- Facilities Layout and Design
- Human Factors: Product Design and Usability, Applied Ergonomics
- Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, and Continuous Improvement
- Leadership: Individual, Team, Organization
- Management: Technical, Project, Change
- Intro to Physics & Modeling I and II
- Facilities Design and Material Handling (including Honors section)
- Human Factors (including Honors option)
- Industrial Safety
- IE Senior Design II: Capstone
- Quality Control and Management (including Honors option)
- Introduction to Engineering Entrepreneurship (dual listing)
- Applied Human Factors (special topic; online and faculty-led course abroad)
- IE Leadership Series (sophomore, junior, and senior levels)
- Leadership and Service in IE (independent study)
- Health Integrated Business and Engineering Program: Creating Synergies in Business and Engineering Collaborations
- Community Outreach and Engagement
- Facilities Layout and Design
- Human Factors: Product Design and Usability, Applied Ergonomics
- Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, and Continuous Improvement
- Leadership: Individual, Team, Organization
- Management: Technical, Project, Change
- MS, Industrial Engineering (human factors), The University of Tennessee, 1992
- BS, Industrial Engineering (concentration: manufacturing; minor: business administration), The University of Tennessee, 199
- Mental Health First Aid, Adult – National Council for Mental Well-Being
- Black Belt, Lean Six Sigma – Council for Six Sigma Certification
- Registered Engineer in Training (Tennessee No. 14528: 1992)
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Co-Advisor, NSBE (National Society of Black Engineers), 2020 – present
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Volunteer Experience Faculty Fellow, inaugural cohort, University of Tennessee Office of Student Success, 2023-2024
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Community Engagement Academy, inaugural cohort, University of Tennessee Office of Community Engagement and Outreach, 2020
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Member, Peer Reviewer, and Judge, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, 1992-present
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Member, Peer Reviewer, American Society for Engineering Education, 2019–present
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Member, Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers, 2019– present (prior member IIE 1991-1995)
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Faculty Representative, Tickle College of Engineering Women’s Leadership Council, 2019-2021
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Founding member of Northeast Missouri Unintentional Injury Coalition, (group working to reduce childhood injuries in region), 2004-2007
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Member, National Safe Kids Coalition area groups, CO, PA, NC and MO, 1994-2007
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Board of Directors and working member, Operation Safety Net (volunteer group in PA, providing healthcare and medicine to the working poor), 1998-1999
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Prior Member, ASTM (American Society of Testing and Materials) 1995-1996
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Member, American Society for Quality Control, 1993-1996
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Prior Member, SME (Society of Manufacturing Engineers), 1993-1995
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Mentor, Speaker, UT Womengineers, 2019-present
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Volunteer NHTSA-trained child passenger safety checker, CO, 1995-96Instructor, Junior Achievement, CO and AL, 1995-1996
- Teaching Fellow Award, Tickle College of Engineering, 2023
- Paul E. Trentham, Sr. Library Partner Awards, University of Tennessee Libraries, 2023
- Outstanding Faculty Award, UTISE Department, 2019
- UT Thrive Summit Workshop: “Strategies for Fostering Well-Being in the Classroom”, November 2023
- ASEE First Year Engineering Education Conference Workshop: Building Bridges (but not with balsa wood) through Scalable Engineering Design Process Lessons”, B. Chesnutt, L. Knight, A. Skutnik, August 2023
- ASEE National Conference, Pre-College Outreach, “From Silos to Systems: The Evolution of {University’s} College of Engineering Pre-College Outreach”, B. Chesnutt, L. Knight, A. Skutnik, June 2023
- Represented over 14,000 small and medium sized manufacturers in a nationally televised press conference (C-SPAN) followed by oral and written testimony to a Congressional subcommittee reviewing proposed OSHA Ergonomics regulations, 1999-2000
- “Office Ergonomics and Evaluation” and “Warnings – what, how, why?”, in-house seminars, 1996
- “Improving Safety Through Teamwork,” Safety Council, Central New York, 1994
- Co-authored with Dr. R. Sawhney, “Safety: A Strategic Tool for Improving Manufacturing Systems,” 36th Meeting, Human Factors Society, 1992
- Published Ergonomic Design Considerations for the Prevention of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in a Research Environment, original thesis, The University of Tennessee, 1992
Biography
Laura Knight is a Lecturer in the Engineering Fundamentals Program, and an advocate for expanding the numbers of future engineers through education and community outreach. Collaborating across communities, industries, and academic disciplines is a vital part of her endeavors and success.
Laura returned to the Knoxville area after over 20 years of working across the country and raising a family. She provided engineering services for a variety of private and public companies, including:
In addition to professional responsibilities, Laura volunteered in many roles initiating and coaching STEM/robotics teams, acting as leader and board member for sports teams, and performing strategic, long and short-term planning for local schools. In 2017, she received the Notre Dame Jr/Sr High School Adult Volunteer Award.
Laura also previously acted as President/Owner of a developing children’s discovery museum, directing a working board which acted as a ‘museum without walls’, bringing outreach programs to an underserved population in Missouri and Illinois. She also worked as a yoga, group exercise, and weight lifting instructor in North Carolina and Missouri. Growing up, Laura lived in Madagascar, eastern Africa, and Algeria, and is still an avid traveler.
Areas of Interest
Courses Taught
Certifications
Seminars
