In April, T. Stewart McCorkle (’76) spoke to students from the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Biomedical Engineering (MABE), giving advice as a seasoned veteran in related fields. Following his speech, he was surprised to receive an Accomplished Alumni Award from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
The Accomplished Alumni Award is given to alumni who have made significant strides in their professional work, volunteer roles, or civic involvement. Kivanc Eikici, MABE department head, had the honor of presenting McCorkle with the award.
“A generational Vol, McCorkle understands what it means to bear the torch,” says Ekici. “The mechanical engineering program nurtured his innovative thinking, making him a pioneer in his field and also a passionate altruist, giving back and allowing others the opportunity he had.”
McCorkle is from Kingsport, Tennessee, and was raised by a Volunteer, his father, who studied accounting at UT. Following graduation, McCorkle worked for Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO), until it was acquired by BP Amoco in 2000. The following year, he transitioned to work at Crosstex Energy, where he stepped into the role of vice president of business development. This experience prepared him well for what was to come: a decade serving as the vice president of business development at Enlink Midstream, one of the larger diversified energy infrastructure companies.
“UT gave me invaluable experience, especially as an intern,” says McCorkle. “I wouldn’t have advanced so far in engineering without the education and support from UT.”
McCorkle scored his first internship at Eastman Chemical Company in Kingsport, where he worked as a lab technician in advanced polymer labs. UT connected him with Eastman and helped him gain experience later in his career, as well. He also worked part-time in engineering on campus as a research assistant under a MABE professor, which allowed him to learn a lot about the field. He credits his problem-solving mindset to UT, which helped him organize his thinking and approach problems in a new way.
For years, McCorkle has given back to the university that empowered his professional success, with significant support to innovative and driven faculty members. This includes the F. Stewart and Lucy McCorkle Nursing Endowed Fellow Fund and the Thomas Stewart McCorkle Family Endowed Faculty Award, which supports multiple faculty awards in MABE. He also honored his father with the F. Stewart and Lucy McCorkle Accounting Faculty Award Endowment.
“It’s a pleasure to be able to support promising faculty and motivate them to keep going,” says McCorkle. “UT did so much for me, so it’s an honor to support faculty across disciplines to inspire the next generation of Vols.”
McCorkle recently moved back to East Tennessee to be closer to his roots, but for much of his career he lived in Dallas, Texas, where he participated in the Dallas-Fort Worth UT Alumni Chapter. Now returned to the Knoxville area, he has season tickets to basketball games and stays involved with the Tickle College of Engineering. A Volunteer through and through, McCorkle lights the way for others by sharing his extensive engineering experience—most recently with MABE students this spring when he received the Accomplished Alumni Award.
“I’m very grateful to have received this award,” says McCorkle. “I’ve got orange in my blood, so this means a lot to me.”
