Alumni Spotlight: Joseph Koruth

“In 2007-08, when the recession struck, I was one of the lucky few who landed a good job immediately after obtaining an undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering.  There was always a longing to expand my knowledge in my area of interest, which happened to be very specific: Energy Engineering from a Mechanical Engineering perspective with focus on environmental impacts due to energy generation. I did research for the best universities that offered this type of combination course, and my search ended at the Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering (MEE) at the University of North Texas. I was very excited since the courses that were offered fit perfectly with my interests. 

Starting UNT in 2010, I was fortunate enough to be part of Dr. Kuruvilla John’s research group. Our research focused on air pollution in the Dallas Fort Worth area, while my course work covered Energy Engineering related topics. During my time at UNT I was awarded the most Outstanding Graduate Student for two years in a row, and I was blessed enough to represent UNT in an International Case Study competition in Denmark conducted by Vestas, the world’s largest wind turbine manufacturing company.  My team was the underdog as we competed against smart minds from Harvard and Stanford and we won the competition.

The opportunities and training at UNT prepared me to apply and secure a leadership position with Kohler Co, a world-leader in plumbing industry. I started off as a Mechanical Project Engineer and in just under two years I became the New Product Development Project Manager, a jump that ordinarily takes seven to ten years. In this position, I currently manage both domestic and international projects and some of my projects secured awards both internally and externally. Today, I am PMP certified and currently pursuing an MBA to further develop myself.  Looking back at those late nights and long days at UNT I can’t help but feel thankful towards my Professors Dr. Kuruvilla John, Dr. Srinivasan Srivilliputhur, and the MEE department for pushing me to achieve more than I thought I could.  Their efforts played a tremendous role in getting me to where I am today.  As an alumni, I have faith in the Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering, and that it will play a great role in molding a strong future for their students.”
                            
Joseph Koruth 
New Product Development Project Manager 
Kohler Co, Sheboygan, Wisconsin