James Phillips, who has in the past led well-known technological industries such as NorTel, SkyTel and Motorola, has been named the head of The University of Memphis’ FedEx Technology Institute.
Phillips said the FedEx Technology Institute will be the envy of the academic world because of the prestige attached to the shipping company.
“You get a real rich heritage of one of the best known entrepreneurial companies in the world,” Phillips said. “Any campus would absolutely love to have that opportunity.”
The institute aims to educate students across all disciplines of the ever-changing technological landscape, Phillips said.
“It’s reshaping the world so fast that if you don’t have a good understanding of technology you’re really working at a disadvantage,” he said.
A key component of the institute will be to offer courses for students in all of the colleges on campus. A task force made up of leaders in the Memphis area, FedEx employees and University officials has been developing the curriculum for the institute. Phillips, who has only been on campus for three days, has already met with the deans of the College of Education and the College of Arts and Sciences to discuss the development of specialized courses at the institute.
“Imagine you get a B.S. in education here, but you also have, to put on your resumé, certain certificates you got at the FedEx Technological Institute,” Phillips said.
Students pursuing all disciplines will be able to take advantage of the training the institute will provide. Due to this training, graduates from The U of M will be a step above graduates from other schools, he said.
Phillips said he thinks the specialized training the institute will offer will bring more students to The U of M.
“I think it will become a magnet to really raise the bar on the students that decide to come to Memphis,” Phillips said.
The institute’s courses will eventually also be offered to business professionals across the country.
Phillips, who got his B.S. and MBA from The U of M, is returning to Memphis from Knoxville, where he was chairman and chief executive officer of IPIX, a company that develops photo software for Internet use. The software provides picture services for eBay, the well-known auction website, which receives 100 million visitors per day.
Phillips has remained in contact with The U of M since graduating, serving on the Fogelman College of Business and Economics advisory board, and formerly the University’s Board of Visitors.
