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Distinguished Engineer Citations

                 
Distinguished Engineer Photo: Wolfgang Vogel
Wolfgang Vogel

Wolfgang Vogel

Distinguished Engineer

1996

Degree

Mechanical Engineering, Technical University of Vienna, B.S. – 1971

Degree

Industrial Engineering, M.S. – 1972

 

Citation

At Time of Nomination in 1996

Wolfgang Vogel earned a degree in mechanical engineering from the Technical University of Vienna, Austria in 1970. In 1971, he was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship, which brought him to Texas Tech University, where he taught engineering before graduating with a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering in 1972.

After receiving his master’s degree, Mr. Vogel returned to Europe, where he began working as assistant to the technical director for Wehasto GmbH, a company that markets a wide range of products for increasing driving comfort, including heating and air conditioning, and sunroofs. Two years later, he was promoted to manager of product development for the company. In 1978, he became general manager of the Sunroof Division for Webasto AG. Mr. Vogel was named executive vice president of the company in 1986.

Since 1994, Mr. Vogel has been executive vice president and group executive of ZF Friedrichshafen AG/ Germany, an internationally oriented corporation with production facilities in all continents, including eight plants in the U.S., one of which supplies the axle systems for the new Mercedes plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. His duties include heading up ZF’s Commercial Vehicle Transmission Division and serving as a member of the Board of ZF subsidiaries in the U.S., Japan, South Africa, India, Spain, and Hungary.

Mr. Vogel also devotes his business expertise to civic activities. He is a member of the advisory board to the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the State of Baden–Wuerttemberg, Germany. He also is a member of the Association of German Professional Engineers and is active in the Lions Club of Munich, Blutenburg, Germany.

Although he lives in Europe, Mr. Vogel’s ties to the Texas Tech College of Engineering still are strong. In 1990, he was instrumental in establishing the Webasto Industrial Engineering Graduate Student Endowed Scholarship, which recognizes outstanding achievement by graduate students who indicate an interest in international engineering. He also is a member of the Texas Tech Industrial Engineering Academy.

He is married to Patricia Gaddis of Lubbock. They have two sons, Christian and Peter, and a daughter, Susanna.

It is with great pleasure that we name Wolfgang Vogel a DISTINGUISHED ENGINEER of Texas Tech University.

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