Employee Biography:
Enrique is the Manufacturing Consultant for Student Programs & Human-Centered Operations within the Tennessee Manufacturing Extension Partnership.
He strongly advocates for the development of work systems that incorporate the complexities of processes, technology, and people, based on the development of organizational culture centered on continuous improvement and a deep understanding of what motivates and engages people in their professional roles.
In his experience, he has over 20 years of both industry and academic roles. He has worked with several organizations around East Tennessee through multiple UT programs focused on Lean. His latest role was as a Research Assistant Professor at the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and as the Industry Program Manager for the Center of Advanced Systems Research and Education. He also served as Undergraduate Program Director and Academic Advisor in the Industrial Engineering Department for the Aguascalientes Campus of Monterrey’s Technological Institute of Higher Education. His industry experience spans the automotive and electronics sectors, in the areas of quality management systems, lean production systems, environmental health and safety systems, and corporate responsibility.
He obtained his PhD in Industrial Engineering at the University of Tennessee - Knoxville under the supervision of Dr. Rupy Sawhney, researching the interaction of Lean Production Systems and National Culture. He holds a bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering with a minor in Systems Engineering and a Master's in Quality and Productivity Systems, both from Monterrey Tech in Mexico.