Eric Lussier is an Assistant Professor of Practice in Industrial and Systems Engineering at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where he brings more than 30 years of industry and consulting experience into the classroom. He teaches and mentors the next generation of engineers with a focus on operational excellence, Lean thinking, engineering economy, and the connection between technical capability and leadership. Before joining UT, Eric was a Principal at NEXT LEVEL Partners®, where he helped global organizations build cultures rooted in continuous improvement, respect for people, and measurable value creation. A lifelong practitioner of Lean thinking and self-described “student of Lean,” Eric ran his first kaizen event more than 32 years ago under the guidance of a Japanese sensei during a co-op term at AlliedSignal. He previously served as Senior Vice President at Steel Partners, where he was the chief architect of the Business System deployed across its portfolio companies. He also held leadership roles at Sequa Corporation and began his career with AlliedSignal. Eric holds BS and MS degrees in Industrial Engineering from the University of Tennessee and an MS in Industrial and Systems Engineering from the University of Alabama in Huntsville.