Many Sibley School alumni know Al George, the John F. Carr Professor of Mechanical Engineering Emeritus, and that he understands the importance of hands-on education for an engineer. His legacy includes his pivotal role in starting the Cornell Formula SAE team and the Auto X-Prize team, through which he has mentored hundreds of young engineers. George served as director of the Sibley School for 10 years and was longtime leader of Cornell’s Center for Manufacturing Enterprise.
George has been a tireless advocate for the development of experiential learning opportunities at the Sibley School and across Cornell Engineering for 60 years. The Sibley School wants to honor all that George has done for generations of Cornellians by creating the position of the Albert R. George Director of Manufacturing Learning Studios – and your help is what will make this dream become a reality.
To help endow the Al George Directorship, you can contact David Erickson or Keith Hannon.
What some alumni say about Al George
Aaron Green ’05
Professor George was the single most impactful professor I had at Cornell, and I wasn’t an engineer! His lessons in system’s engineering principles, teamwork and problem solving have left an indelible mark on me – they are lessons that I use every day in my professional career as a business leader.
David Johnson ’89
Like so many students who have been positively influenced by Professor George, I am, to this day, awestruck by his fantastic knowledge, insights, teaching ability and style, enthusiasm, support, encouragement and kindness. That’s far from a complete list. I was so lucky to be at Cornell and to be guided by Professor George. He is the best and brightest and the highlight of my time at Cornell.
Keith Epstein ’01
I learned so many valuable skills on the Cornell FSAE team that I had no idea I was learning: how to collaborate, how to lead, how to delegate, how to document work, how to learn from both successes and failures, how to give and receive critical feedback, and how to have fun while working harder than ever.
David Zoltnick ’11
Professor George was an incredible mentor, role model and technical contributor to the X-Prize project and the Cornell 100MPG team. He left a lasting impression on me and I consider my time on the X-Prize project invaluable for helping to build my confidence as a leader. While it has been quite some time since I graduated, I frequently remember Professor George quoting Dwight Eisenhower “Plans are nothing; planning is everything.”
