The College of Engineering was renamed the Tickle College of Engineering in 2016 to honor alumnus John D. Tickle. He is chairman of the Strongwell Corporation, a fiberglass manufacturer. Tickle has served as a UT trustee, and he and his wife, Ann, have given several significant donations to UT. The John D. Tickle Engineering Building opened in 2013, the John and Ann Tickle Small Animal Hospital opened in 2008, and the John and Ann Tickle Athletic Development Suite is in the Brenda Lawson Athletic Center, which opened in 2006. John Tickle became a member of the campus Advisory Board in 2019.