|
|
John R. (Chip) Keough |
John R. (Chip) Keough (BSE ME and BSE MM ‘77) has earned an Alumni Society Merit Award from the department of Materials Science and Engineering for his exceptional professional accomplishments. Keough is the chief executive officer and owner of Applied Process, Inc., a heat treating facility specializing in the Austempering process.
While a student at the University of Michigan, Keough worked part-time as a machine builder at an industrial furnace company and as foundry technician at the University's Cast Metals Laboratory. After graduating in 1977 he worked at General Motors' Pontiac gray iron foundry in various technical and supervisory roles. He then served as principal engineer at TRW's Turbine Components Division plant in Minerva, Ohio.
Keough joined a family-owned business in 1984 and served as president of the newly formed Applied Process, Inc., division. He became chief executive and owner in 1993. The company has since added affiliates in other states and licensees in Australia, the United Kingdom and British Columbia.
He is active in many professional associations and serves on the Materials Science and Engineering Department Alumni Advisory Committee. He is no stranger to winning awards either, having earned the ASM International 2000 Shoemaker Award and The Engineering Society of Detroit's Gold Medal in 2002, among others.
Keough credits his education at U-M with his success today. "A lot of what I do is in the area of highly engineered metal castings. I never would have even known about metal castings had I not been exposed to the technology by Professor Flinn at U-M," he said. "And now I have the opportunity to give back by helping teach a metal casting class to MSE students each winter term."
Of earning the Alumni Society Merit Award, Keough said he was "floored. I couldn't believe I was up there on stage with all those really high-powered folks. It's a great honor that I feel I don't deserve."