July 14, 2025
By Ashley Ritchie

Mike Tinskey, interim associate chair for innovation and entrepreneurship and professor of the practice in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, has been awarded the inaugural Siemens Corporation Termed Professorship.

The three-year termed professorship provides discretionary funding to advance the Electric Vehicles & the Grid course through immersive, hands-on learning experiences. Tinskey will use the support to enhance the curriculum and provide expertise across areas such as electric vehicles, the power grid, renewable energy, power electronics, and the evolving energy landscape.

"I look forward to increasing the experiential learning component of the teachings with this generous support from Siemens," said Tinskey.

Tinskey joined Georgia Tech in 2022 and was named the Woodruff School’s inaugural interim associate chair for innovation and entrepreneurship earlier this year. His teaching and research focus on intrapreneurship, electrification, and energy systems.

“I am proud to have Mike assume this second inaugural role. His leadership and commitment are helping to shape the future of energy, mobility, and engineering education,” said Shreyes N. Melkote, Interim Eugene C. Gwaltney, Jr. School Chair.

Shortly after joining the Institute, Tinskey was named a chair fellow in entrepreneurship and received discretionary support to develop business-related engineering curriculum, expand mentoring, and support intrapreneurship programs.

Tinskey played a leading role in the creation of the Electric Vehicles & the Grid course, which was launched in partnership with Siemens. The course provides hands-on learning experiences and covers topics including battery technology, energy infrastructure, renewables, and grid connectivity. Siemens has contributed to the curriculum and student engagement, including on-campus visits, guest lectures, and facility tours in Atlanta and the surrounding area.

He has also helped secure strategic industry partnerships for the Institute. Under his leadership, Georgia Tech and Hyundai America Technical Center signed a master research agreement and have launched over $1.8 million in collaborative automotive research projects to date.

Prior to joining Georgia Tech, Tinskey worked for 30 years at Ford Motor Company, where he most recently served as global director of electrification. He is a co-founder of Cobra Motorcycles and Cobra Aero and has served on the Woodruff School and ECE advisory boards for more than a decade. He is also an active mentor of start-ups and CREATE-X teams.