A&M-Commerce gave me a close network of fellow students and professors that I still talk to today.
Tyrone Sheehan Process Tech IV – Compounding SVP II
- Alum
Physics and Astronomy
Tyrone Sheehan came to A&M-Commerce with varied interests and a simple goal. He wanted a career with growth potential and the ability to impact others. He found his place in physics after taking a course with Robynne Lock, Ph.D., who's passion for the field inspired him.
Like many graduates exiting college, he found himself asking, “What's next?” Akin to his frequent hikes in Washington state, he blazed into the unknown STEM job market without a clear-cut plan, but an openness to the opportunities that came his way. That's when he found a position combining his STEM knowledge with industry.
He now works in chemical compounding, producing and distributing the vaccines medical professionals are using to save lives across the country during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A Conversation with Tyrone Sheehan
Tell us about an influential class you took at ETSU/A&M-Commerce.
“That class for me would have to be Physics-2425 with Dr. Robynne Lock. It really opened my eyes to the field. The class was uniquely structured in a studio-mode classroom, which blew my mind, as all my other classes at the time were lecture-based. Dr. Lock and her colleagues eventually influenced me so much that I changed my major from industrial engineering to physics and never looked back.”
How has A&M-Commerce influenced your life and/or career?
“A&M-Commerce gave me a close network of fellow students and professors that I still talk to today. It really gave a strong support system of people with like-minded goals who could get together and pursue self-interests as well.”
What obstacles did you overcome to achieve a personal or professional goal?
“My biggest hurdle was that I didn’t know what I wanted to do after school. I graduated with a fairly respectable and broad degree, though I had no idea if I wanted to continue into pursuing a Ph.D., or join the workforce. I am motivated to continually improve and love myself. I have several personal, short-term and long-term goals, and I'll always be trying to pursue them.”
Educational Background
- B.S., Physics (math minor), Texas A&M University-Commerce 2017
Honors and Awards
- Sigma Pi Sigma (Physics Honor Society)
- American Physical Society
- BGC Presidents Circle
- Dean's List: Fall 2014–Fall 2017