معرفی
David Keown serves as an Industry Extension Specialist and Instructor in the Fujio Cho Department of Engineering Technology within the University of Kentucky's College of Engineering. With 35 years of industry experience spanning General Motors and Toyota, he transitioned to full-time university employment in 2024 after previously serving as part-time instructor (2022-2024) and Toyota Executive-in-Residence (2018-2022).
His academic credentials include:
- M.S. in Manufacturing Management, Kettering University
- B.S. in Business Administration, Indiana Wesleyan University
- A.S. in Agriculture, Purdue University
Keown specializes in practical lean manufacturing education, developing innovative pedagogical approaches for the Toyota Production System (TPS) through simulation-based teaching methodologies and hands-on TPS laboratory development. His expertise encompasses Jishuken, Standardized Work implementation, Kaizen leadership, Material and Information Flow analysis, Shop Floor Problem Solving, and A3 Thinking frameworks.
As a core contributor to the True Lean Systems Program, he co-teaches engineering technology courses and develops curriculum that bridges academic theory with industry practice. His work leverages deep operational experience from Toyota's Operations Management Development Division to create authentic manufacturing education experiences.
