Shaquinta Morgan
A decade ago, Shaquinta Morgan (BE 03) was only beginning her professional career as an engineer. Several promotions later, she is engineering manager for Johnson Controls Energy Solutions’ Alabama market.
“I am responsible for managing and coordinating the engineering development of all [JCES] projects in the state of Alabama and the Florida Panhandle,” Morgan said. “Most fulfilling about my job is the impact we make in school districts, municipalities and communities, enabling them to streamline their investments in energy while enabling them to utilize previously obligated resources to improve their facilities and systems and the quality of life of their students and citizens.”
Before her current title, Morgan was project development engineer for JCES. She was also energy engineer for Noresco Energy Services and EMO Energy Solutions.
Morgan is most proud of obtaining her Professional Engineer licensure following the first exam in an area different from her primary area of study.
“As an undergraduate, I primarily studied chemical engineering, but I sat for and obtained my PE in mechanical engineering,” she said. “The discipline required was enormous. I am extremely grateful to my family for supporting me during a period of time when I was engrossed in exam preparations.”
The cross-disciplinary education provided by the Ole Miss School of Engineering provided a foundation that enabled Morgan to fully engage in career discipline different from — although complementary to — her area of academic study.
“That professional engagement, then, prepared me to sit for a disparate Professional Engineering exam,” she said.
Morgan said her career goals are constantly growing and evolving, self-propelled and guided by ambition.
“I enjoy the pursuit and quest of achieving the improbable,” Morgan said. “I set goals, achieve them and make new ones. Right now, a goal that is on the horizon is to be published in a professional journal.”
Ole Miss engineering professors and courses helped Morgan prepare for where she is now, she said.
“The cross-disciplinary nature of the curriculum, the deliberate approach by the faculty in preparing students for delivering technical information following project completion via public speaking [and] presentations, and the Ole Miss environment within which the School of Engineering operates, combined to create a unique experience, resulting in a unique set of qualities and qualifications that have proven invaluably beneficial as I’ve progressed through my career,” she said.
Outside of work, Morgan said she enjoys spending time with her husband, Markeeva (BSEE 01), and their two daughters, Mallory and Sydney. She also enjoys reading, listening to music, and photography.
