M. Abbot Maginnis, Ph.D.
- Institute of Research for Technology Development
- True Lean
Abbot Maginnis serves as the Academic Coordinator for True Lean, to develop knowledgeable and workplace-ready students for Toyota and other organizations. These students gain a deep understanding of True Lean principles and practices, and the true essence of the Toyota Production System (TPS).
Abbot collaborates with True Lean instructors who are former Toyota management to lead transformational and problem solving activities. He also serves as the Director of Certificate Studies for the Lean Graduate Certificate program within the College of Engineering. This includes developing and teaching academic courses based on the True Lean courses, and creating a viable learning development pathway for students interested in TPS.
Prior to UK, Abbot served as a materials engineer with the U.S. Bureau of Mines, and he served ten years in private industry where he experienced first-hand the challenges associated with problem solving and creating an environment of continuous improvement. Those experiences led him to return to UK to earn an M.S. degree in Manufacturing Systems Engineering, specializing in the TPS.
In 2006, he joined the True Lean program where he helped redesign and rebuild the program and led the development and activities of the learning laboratory until 2014.
He earned his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering in 2012, focusing on the impact of standardized work and systematic problem solving on team member learning and the development of sustainable continuous improvement capabilities within organizations.