Caleb Shumate and his teammates weren’t sure how much mentor Harold Cannon (BS/CE ’81) would be involved in their civil and environmental engineering senior design project. They figured Cannon may consult with them a few times over the school year and possibly come to campus every few months to provide advice.
They could have never envisioned how much time Cannon was willing to invest. He helped them research topics, contacted other potential mentors, and sat down with students individually when they had questions. Cannon even hosted the team at his house in January for a steak dinner.
“He has been extremely valuable to our team,” Shumate said. “He has poured so much of his time and effort into this project, whether that be providing his own knowledge or getting the team connected with other civil engineers to further help with the project. One thing I’ve learned from Harold is don’t be afraid to ask questions.”
Cannon and his wife, Angie (BS/ChE ’81), were longtime co-owners of Cannon & Cannon, Inc., a civil engineering firm that served the greater Knoxville area, with locations in Memphis and Bowling Green, Kentucky. They both remained heavily involved with UT over the years after graduation.
Angie, a chemical engineer, was a member of the TCE Board of Advisors. Harold has consulted on more than 40 projects at UT, including the west campus renovation. Helping high school and college students has always been a calling for the Cannons, so being a mentor for a senior design project at UT was something Harold embraced when asked.
“I am probably more excited about the future of the profession than I have been in a while as a result of doing this,” Cannon said. “These guys are sharp. They’re diving in. They’ve got a good thought process. That is a tribute both to themselves, but also the way the college is raising them. I’m real excited about what these guys are going to be able to do as they come out of UT.”
Practical Mentoring Advice
The senior design team worked on a project that revolved around developing a potable water plan, wastewater treatment plan, and irrigation system for farmland in Tanzania. The owner of the land wanted workers to be able live on-site, and Cannon has familiarity with the territory.
“Angie and I have spent a lot of time with Young Life Mozambique, which is in an adjoining country,” Cannon said. “So, we were able to bring some practical eyes in knowing about flood seasons, and the tools that folks have and don’t have there. You can’t do a treatment plan like you would do it here, because there is much less the storage.”
Trey Davis, a member of the senior design team, appreciated how much guidance and practical advice Cannon provided.
“From Mr. Cannon, I’ve learned to consider every option and to seek out additional information, help, or research,” Davis said. “I’ve learned that no matter what you’re doing it will never hurt to be considerate of all things, and to be kind and hospitable. Mr. Cannon has always been available for anything the team needed.”
Cannon is well-known throughout the Knoxville community, which was evident at a senior design showcase event earlier this year, where he was surrounded by other senior design mentors.
“From my perspective, Harold has been one of the most holistic mentors I’ve ever had help a senior design team,” CEE Distinguished Lecturer Jenny Retherford said. “He is all-in in terms of helping them, getting data or information for them, or informing them. It’s an impressive balance of giving support through direct work and through guidance.”
Passing the Torch to Future Leaders
Cannon has always encouraged students to do co-ops and internships to get practical experience in the field. Having now seen how the senior design process works, he believes students from Tickle College of Engineering are even more prepared to join the workforce once they graduate.
“Hands-on experience has proved to be the most valuable assets to a company like what we had with students coming out of college,” Cannon said. “Now, you’ve built this into a curriculum where they’re producing a project, they’re working with other engineers who are in the profession, and there’s just something special that happens when you have that interaction. I think they’re coming out of college a heck of a lot stronger than maybe some of the generations prior to them.”
Cannon said working with the senior design team energized him, something the students could sense every time they met.
“One thing that stands out about Harold’s involvement is just how much he enjoys simply being a part of the project,” Shumate said. “Ever since we started this project, I always saw a smile on his face. It’s hard to put in words how big of an influence Harold has been in this project.”
Contact
Rhiannon Potkey ([email protected])