Geoff Weller ’75 experienced firsthand the value of a Michigan Tech education. He earned his mechanical engineering degree, was hired as a production engineer at Oldsmobile, and advanced all the way to launch manager and plant manager of General Motors’ $1.5 billion Lansing Delta Township Assembly Plant.
“I have a lot of gratitude for what Michigan Tech has done for me,” he said. “I wouldn’t have had my career without that education. It now enables me to give back and support things I’m passionate about—mainly providing scholarships for students in need who have the talent but not the means to attend Tech.”
Becoming a Husky
Weller’s father was an engineer for GM, so the path to becoming an engineer was made clear early. Weller recalls tinkering with go-carts and remote-controlled planes as a kid.
He applied to and was accepted at both Michigan Tech and the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, where his older brother was attending as an electrical engineer. After visiting UM, he decided it wasn’t for him.
“It was a big place, and I didn’t want that, ” he said. “I wanted a smaller atmosphere with a more personalized education.”
In September 1971, and having never stepped foot in Houghton, Weller traveled 536 miles from his hometown of Birmingham, Michigan, for the start of his first quarter at Tech. Aside from the uneasiness of not knowing anybody on campus, Weller settled into the Copper Country quickly.
“I was struck by the beauty of the area,” he said. “And being a history buff, I was intrigued by the copper mining history of the area.”
Weller recalls having a four-wheel drive vehicle during his second year at Tech and using it to explore remote areas of the Keweenaw.
“A bunch of us with beat up trucks got in all sorts of trouble on old logging trails,” he said. “We’d go out every weekend, including winter. It was a hoot.”
Like many other students of the era, Weller had what he calls a “gut-wrenching” experience with Doc Berry’s chemistry class, and some trouble getting through differential equations. He also had many positive experiences.
Weller credits Professor John Johnson, who taught diesel emissions and other mechanical engineering courses, as a big influence. He also had a strong connection with the late Professor Emeritus and Department Chair Bill Predebon.
"Michigan Tech teaches you the technical aspects you need to learn, but more than that, it’s a problem-solving skill set. I learned how to interact with people in team settings and how to best incorporate people’s talents into a team."
Building a Career
After graduating from Tech in 1975, Weller completed an MBA at Michigan State. He served as a clerk for Oldsmobile as a summer intern, then was hired permanently as a process engineer, responsible for building and maintaining tools for a segment of an assembly line.
As GM changed its structure, Weller got into manufacturing operations, working his way from managing segments of an assembly line to becoming plant manager for an entire facility. Later he became GM’s North American quality director for vehicle assembly before returning to the manufacturing process space.
In the 1980s, as part of a recruiting team for GM, Weller and a team of dozens of other GM employees would come to Houghton and hire 120-plus Tech graduates per year.
“Tech prepares people to be successful in their careers,” Weller said. “Wherever I’ve gone, I’ve found Michigan Tech grads in key positions. We need good people in engineering and manufacturing in this country.”
The apex of Weller’s career at GM found him overseeing the build of the 3.6 million-square-foot Lansing Delta Township Plant. The facility employs nearly 4,000 workers who make Buick Enclaves, Chevrolet Traverses, and GMC Acadias, turning out a vehicle every 55 seconds, 24 hours a day.
“Taking the plant from dirt to operation, then later running it, was without a doubt the highlight of my career,” Weller said.
Aligning Passions
After Weller retired from GM, he and two partners formed a company called FTE Performance Consulting, which works with a wide variety of companies in the manufacturing space including Boeing, Harley Davidson, and Pella Windows. Weller also began his legacy of philanthropy.
For the last 20 years, Weller and his wife, Terri, have supported the Boys and Girls Club of Lansing and sponsored students from the club to attend Summer Youth Programs (SYP) at Michigan Tech. Four years ago, the Wellers moved to Lake City, Michigan, and started the same SYP sponsorship for Lake City High School students.
“We want to give students with financial need the opportunity to explore engineering as a possible career and see how amazing Michigan Tech and the Copper Country are,” he said.
Working with Jason Blough, chair and distinguished professor of Tech’s Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE), the Wellers have committed $1 million toward an endowed professorship in MAE.
“I’d like Tech to augment their education in manufacturing,” Weller said. “It’s an area that graduates need to understand and important for our country’s manufacturing future.”
For the past year, Weller has been working with Michigan Tech’s Department of Advancement and Alumni Engagement to secure donations for scholarships from fellow alumni. The Wellers also have plans on starting a scholarship of their own for students they’ve sponsored at SYP to attend Tech.
“We’d love to see some of the students we help send to SYP choose to attend Tech,” said Weller. “We believe in the value of a Michigan Tech education."
Michigan Technological University is an R1 public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, and is home to nearly 7,500 students from more than 60 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigan's flagship technological university offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.
