Fred Lowery is the newest Tennessee Tech University Board of Trustee member appointed by Gov. Bill Lee.
By Karen Lykins, TTU
COOKEVILLE, TN – In Sept. 2019, Fred Lowery became the first black member of the Tennessee Tech University Board of Trustees. Lowery, a Tech alumnus, serves as senior vice president and president of Life Sciences Solutions and Laboratory Products at Thermo Fisher Scientific, the world leader in serving science, with revenues of more than $24 billion and approximately 70,000 employees globally. He also was recently appointed to the DuPont Board of Directors.
“We are excited to have such a distinguished alumnus and passionate supporter of Tennessee Tech join the board,” said Trudy Harper, Tech’s Board of Trustee Chairperson. “We thank Gov. Lee for his commitment to higher education and for his selection of Mr. Lowery.”
After graduating from Austin-East High School in Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1988, Lowery attended Tech on a football scholarship. He graduated in 1994 with a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering. Lowery holds a master’s degree in manufacturing management from Kettering University (formerly General Motors Institute of Engineering and Management).
“At Tech, I learned how to frame and solve problems from my experience in engineering,” he said. “But I also learned how to interact with people in a way to bring out the best in every situation. Being able to frame a problem and come up with the right answer is important, but inspiring people to embrace a solution or, better yet, empowering them to improve it, is a much higher calling.”
Lowery says Tech’s student population must reflect the current and future workforce demographics and the demographics of the country, and he has made it his mission to help lead Tech’s Ethnic Diversity Scholarship Initiative to its $2 million goal. While Tech’s student body has become more diverse throughout the years, Lowery has made it his mission to ensure this continues to grow.
Lowery established the Fred M. Lowery Award Scholarship to encourage students from Austin-East High School to attend Tech. He also established the Chi Lambda Chapter Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Scholarship to attract more black male students to Tech.
“My philanthropic efforts are centered on helping people reach their potential and supporting the institutions that have been the most influential in my life,” said Lowery.
Lee’s appointment of Lowery fills the single remaining vacancy left after the resignation of Barbara Fleming.
As reported by the East Tennessee Enlightener.com, in a September 2018 article: Lowery was honored by his alma mater in September 2018, during homecoming activities for the 50th Anniversary of Austin-East High School. At that time, he was also recognized by the City of Knoxville and the State of Tennessee in a presentation at the City-County Building.
(By Patricia Williams, East Tennessee Enlightener, September 2018) – Lowery is an Austin High alumnus and has been a longtime generous patron to his alma mater. From his humble beginnings, Lowery has risen to senior vice president of Thermo Fisher Scientific and the newest member of the Boston Renaissance Charter Public School’s board of trustees, and a key mentor in the Thermo Fisher Scientific’s STEM education partnership with the Hyde Park school. Lowery was recently named to Savoy Magazine’s 2018 list of “Most Influential Blacks in Corporate America.”