News Release
UDM College of Engineering & Science celebrates 100 years
For the past 100 years, University of Detroit Mercy's College of Engineering & Science has graduated more than 13,000 men and women, in 17 different undergraduate and graduate programs, who have made major contributions to their professions, their employers and their communities.
On October 2, 1911, classes began at University of Detroit for 25 students on the College’s first campus on Jefferson Avenue. President William F. Dooley and Engineering Dean John R. McColl initiated a curriculum that included a cooperative education component, which helped to attract students from across the country. Students began spending half their time in the classroom and the other half in the “shop” for a practical application of theory, earning 10-25 cents an hour to pay for tuition, matriculation, laboratory fees and books.
Over the next 15 years, the program expanded to include aeronautical, architectural and chemical engineering, in addition to the original programs in civil, electrical and mechanical engineering. The general purpose of the College of Engineering was to provide students with both theoretical and practical knowledge through a curriculum enhanced with cooperative education. This allowed students to become familiar with employers of engineers as well as the requirements of the profession. Through the years, new degrees, concentrations and minors were created in such areas as entrepreneurship, bioinformatics, architectural engineering, product development and environmental engineering to reflect the changing needs of industry and society.
At UDM, innovative programs are still developed through direct collaboration with corporate partners such as Ford Motor Company and launched to meet emerging challenges. One such program is the new Advanced Electric Vehicle (AEV) Graduate Certificate curriculum. The College has received high marks from organizations like the Michigan Academy for Green Mobility Alliance. Since the AEV program was launched just last year, over 200 practicing engineers have enrolled.
Other innovative programs have been created to engage K-12 students in advanced pre-college engineering experiences, such as the Summer Innovation Camp created in partnership with Georgia Tech, Dassault and Ford.
As engineering education enters its second century at UDM, additional new projects and programs are expected in such areas as robotics/mechatronics, transit development and innovation/entrepreneurship.
Over the past century, many UDM graduates have risen to top positions at leading corporations, including serving as president at Ford Motor Company, as CEO at DTE Energy and as vice presidents at Xerox, Lear, GE, IBM, Dell, Dow, Marathon Oil, Boeing and General Dynamics. UDM Engineering graduates also become national leaders in the government and higher education, including four deans of engineering colleges.
To celebrate the College’s 100th anniversary, the University will be celebrating the Centennial year with several academic and social events. They include:
Thursday, Sept. 22, 2011
Celebrate Spirit: Campus Celebration
Theme: Envision a Better World ... Then Create It
Speaker: James Paul, Engineers Without Borders
Friday, Sept. 30, 2011
Engineering Centennial Gala
Dinner-Dance at The Henry Ford Museum, Dearborn, Michigan
Cocktails at 6 p.m.
Dinner and dancing at 7 p.m.
$100 per person
Saturday, Oct. 1, 2011
Celebration on Campus for Alumni and Friends
2:00 – 4:30 p.m. Engineering Open House with student displays and demos, open time capsule – bury a new time capsule and tours, of engineering labs and McNichols Campus .
5:00 p.m. liturgy, Commerce & Finance Building, St. Ignatius Chapel
6:15 p.m. dinner at The Dakota Inn ($28 per person)
Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2011
Celebration on Campus and Launch of the next century of Engineering & Science
Noon - University Community celebration, Engineering Building highbay
Picnic and birthday cake for students, faculty and staff
Thursday, Nov. 3, 2011
Ford Innovation Day
5:30 p.m.(tentative time) presentation by Alan Mulally, President & CEO, Ford Motor Company
Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2012
“Car Guys vs. Bean Counters”
Featured Speaker Robert A. Lutz, former Vice Chairman, General Motors Corporation
Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012
2nd Annual Designing Sustainable Detroit Symposium: Electric Detroit
Featured Speaker Steven E. Kurmas, President and COO, DTE Energy
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Slide Rule Dinner – end of centennial year
University of Detroit Mercy’s “Centennial Celebration of Engineering Education” would not be possible without its sponsors. Major sponsors include:
- Platinum sponsors: Absopure - Plastipak, DTE Energy, Ford Motor Company, General Motors
Penske Corporation and Walbridge - Gold Sponsors: Denso International America, Derrick M. Kuzak ’73, ’74, ’76, Lear Corporation
Frank S. Sanda ’76, ’78, TI Automotive - Silver Sponsors: BASF Corporation, John S. Berten '61, Thomas G. Brick '58, Delphi Corporation
James J. Padilla '69, '70, Visteon Corporation - Bronze Sponsor: Joseph V. Colaianni ’56, Clifford C. Cook ’71, Kenneth R. Dabrowski ’66, ‘68
Matthew A. Haley ’84, Meridian Lightweight Technologies Inc., Randal T. Murphy ’59, Henry A. Nickol ’55, Word Pictures Inc.
For more information on the Centennial Celebration, go to http://www.udmercy.edu/eng100/, call 313-993-1540 or contact UDMGrad@udmercy.edu .
Release date: September 13, 2011
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The University of Detroit Mercy is Michigan's largest private Catholic University, offering approximately 100 majors and programs in 60 academic fields. Sponsored by the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) and the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, the University has three campuses located in downtown and northwest Detroit.
For the 12th consecutive year, UDM was ranked among the top tier of Midwestern master's universities in U.S.News & World Report's "Best Colleges," 2013 edition.
