Thiessen receives top MechSE alumni honor

3/15/2018 Veronica Holloway

Written by Veronica Holloway

Phillip W. Thiessen
Phillip W. Thiessen

Phillip W. Thiessen, a Senior Fellow for Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems (IDS), received the 2018 MechSE Distinguished Alumni at the department’s annual award banquet. This honor is given to alumni from MechSE who have established themselves in their choice career paths and uphold the professionalism for which the department is known.

Thiessen has worked at Raytheon for the last 49 years, primarily as a managing design engineer, but also filling roles as a section manager, department manager, and director for mechanical engineering design and analysis organizations. With a focus on large-scale radar and communication systems, Thiessen has directly contributed to, been integrally involved in, or provided oversight for numerous shipboard and land-based radars and radar communication programs. He has worked on projects that include SPS-49, NSSMS, TDWR, RAMP, SBX, SMART-T, and Iridium.

More recently, Thiessen has spread his influence in the company by providing project engineering leadership on a variety of programs and developing new business pursuits. In the last few years, he has focused on developing business in various sensor markets related to defense and air traffic control.

Thiessen returned to campus for the first time in decades to receive the award. The distinguished alumnus was impressed by the changes and growth he saw within the college of engineering.   

When speaking at the MechSE awards banquet Thiessen said, “I owe everything to the education that I received here at Illinois.”


Share this story

This story was published March 15, 2018.