A L E X A N D E R.  C.  M a c K E N Z I E '01

The following feature story appeared in the campus publication MOSAIC in October, 1999.

TUNING-IN TO A CAREER IN COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY

Alexander C. MacKenzie ’01 is fascinated by sound. An accomplished musician, he likes nothing better than to coax calming chords from the piano. Also an engineering major, he is deeply interested in the way those sounds travel through the air. His goal is to synchronize his two passions and pursue a career in the field of communications technology.

MacKenzie, a native of Demarest, NJ, began studying classical piano at age four and won his first award when he was six. By the time he was a teenager, he had won three Gold Cups from the New Jersey Federation of Music Clubs for his expertise, and for six consecutive years he represented his state in national competitions conducted by the National Federation of Musicians. When he was a senior in high school, he "discovered" jazz, and he continues to be influenced by jazz greats like Earl "Bud" Powell and Thelonius Monk.

A promising student

At Trinity, MacKenzie is already making strides toward understanding the dynamics of sound and sound technology. As a sophomore, he took a "Digital Circuits and Systems" class with his academic adviser, Professor of Engineering David J. Ahlgren, and for a group project he designed a four-bit computer processing unit (CPU), a miniature version of the CPU found in a computer. "I worked on the project because I thought it would be interesting to understand how a computer processor worked," MacKenzie says. Ahlgren believes his advisee, whom he describes as "a promising engineering student," has done well in selecting his major. "Engineering is absolutely the best major for someone interested in music and music technology. Music and engineering have a natural affinity."

An internship in China

MacKenzie isn’t only interested in the way in which sound is created and transmitted. His interest in understanding different dimensions of engineering caused him to apply (and be accepted) for a six-week internship in China this past summer at Raytheon International, a $20-billion, multinational corporation and the third-largest defense contractor in the United States. The company sells, installs, and maintains air traffic control systems throughout China. Raytheon’s business in China also focuses on engineering and construction work for electric power utilities and chemical process facilities.

While based in the company’s marketing and sales office in Beijing, MacKenzie examined the transmission and distribution of electric power in the country from a business perspective. The experience, he says, enabled him to see something engineers don’t ordinarily see -- the market research that is required as the basis for economically viable engineering projects. "The power industry is really changing in China," he explains. "Although vast improvements have been made over the past 20 years, the power industry has been plagued by high transmission inefficiency, unstable distribution grids, and poor dispatching. These problems, coupled with inefficient power generation and a failing planned economy, have forced Chinese officials to call for a complete reform of the power industry. The Chinese government is reorganizing its power industry by creating a corporation that can act as a full business organization, but it is still owned by the government." MacKenzie’s internship was facilitated by Jon A. Reynolds ’59, president of Raytheon China, who sought to give a Trinity engineering major a real-world exposure to engineering.

Although MacKenzie had never been to China before, he was well prepared for his visit. MacKenzie, whose mother is Chinese, grew up hearing Chinese spoken at home and studied the language as a child. His visit to China provided him with the opportunity to perfect his language skills and visit extended family. Having some facility in the native tongue was essential in negotiating everyday experiences like using transportation and ordering food, he says. "Although few Chinese speak English, China is a very friendly culture and the people were very warm-hearted to me," he notes.

Living in a Communist culture was, according to MacKenzie, "enlightening." Perhaps most eye-opening was the experience of living in a place where the government controlled information. "Every store in China has to carry The People’s Daily newspaper, and everybody reads it," he says. Meanwhile, the government restricts access to American and British television in most places, except in some hotels. Despite the heavy hand of the government, the spirit of those he met was surprisingly positive. "There is so much pride in being Chinese and where you are from within the country," he reflects. After MacKenzie completed his internship, he had the opportunity to see more of the country that inspires such pride when his parents joined him and they toured the Great Wall of China, the Forbidden City, the Terra Cotta warriors, and the Yangtze River.

This semester as a junior, MacKenzie is tackling his engineering courses with new insight gained from his experience with Raytheon. At the same time, he continues to immerse himself in music. A member of the College’s Jazz Band, he is thoroughly enjoying his participation in Assistant Professor of American Studies and celebrated jazz musician Salim Washington’s "Jazz Theory and Improvisation" class. In addition, through the music department, he is taking private piano lessons with John Chatfield, son of Associate Professor of History John H. Chatfield. When he isn’t playing at receptions at President Dobelle’s house or elsewhere on campus, he often can be found at the keyboard practicing, always with both ears clearly tuned to his future.

                                                                                                                            Rebecca A. Pearce ‘00