- College of Engineering receives $25 million gift
- Gousha named Distinguished Fellow at Law School
- New undergraduate degree in construction engineering management begins in 2008
- Scholarships available from Ethnic Alumni Association
- “Conversations on Learning” features Georgetown professor
- December issue of AJCU “Connections” now online
- Marquette Christmas Blend available in Brew Bayou
- Network programs unavailable during upcoming maintenance
- Marquette password requirements changing
- It’s Not Too Late To Get A Flu Shot
- D2L will be upgraded later this month
- Cheer on the Women's Basketball Team against U-Conn Feb. 3
- This Week in Marquette History
1. College of Engineering receives $25 million gift
The Marquette University College of Engineering has received a gift commitment of more than $25 million as the first part of a legacy grant that could provide the university with an additional future $1 million a year in perpetuity, Marquette President Robert A. Wild announced Monday.
The gift is from an engineering alumnus and his wife who have asked to remain anonymous and “who have given anonymously and generously to the university in the past,” Wild said. Julie Tolan, vice president of University Advancement, said the $25 million gift, given through their private foundation, brings to nearly $50 million the amount the couple has given to Marquette, making them the largest single benefactors in the university’s history.
Wild said that the gift was made to act as a “spark plug” to help transform the engineering school and that, if such a transformation takes place, the couple’s foundation would consider extending the grant to provide $1 million annually in perpetuity. “That commitment of long-term future funding – literally forever – is unprecedented,” Tolan said.
Wild cited the benefactors’ commitment to Catholic education and desire to give back to both Marquette and the engineering profession as reasons for the continued financial support. “Their past gifts have been a catalyst for immense change and improvement at Marquette and this one should indeed help to transform the College of Engineering,” he said.
Wild quoted the benefactors as saying they hoped the legacy grant would “act as an incentive to spur the entire university to transform itself for the better and, therefore, contribute to making the world a better place for all of mankind.”
The $25 million gift is part of a broader fund-raising initiative to “transform the College of Engineering through endowed scholarships and faculty positions, an enhanced curriculum, extensive research opportunities and completion of a Discovery Learning Complex with state-of-the-art facilities and equipment,” Wild said. The benefactors, he noted, hope the gift “inspires others to help fund the bold initiatives that will position the College of Engineering as the premiere Catholic institution in the nation for engineering education.”
Stanley Jaskolski, Opus Dean of Marquette’s College of Engineering, noted the importance of engineering education in today’s world, with the demand for innovation growing at the same time that there are 60,000 fewer engineering students in American colleges and universities than there were a decade ago. “Engineers are a leading force in driving technological innovation,” he said. “Our nation cannot continue to succeed economically without focusing on technological creativity.”
Jaskolski, who became dean in 2003 after a career both in academia and industry, said Marquette faculty members are redefining engineering education to make it “more entrepreneurial, more inter-disciplinary, more open-ended in terms of problem solving and more global in its outreach.”
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2. Gousha named Distinguished Fellow at Law School
Mike Gousha, well-known Milwaukee broadcast journalist, will join the Marquette University Law School as a distinguished fellow in law and public policy in January.
“Law and public policy are at the heart of our Law School’s mission,” said Marquette President Robert A. Wild, S.J. “Having an individual of Mike’s reputation, experience, intellect and passion enhances our ability to address issues and to serve as an incubator for public policy ideas.”
Gousha will focus on issues of public policy and public service at the local, national and international levels, including such topics as crime, poverty and education. Law School Dean Joseph D. Kearney said Gousha will have “the flexibility to take on projects that include writing, interviews, documentaries and the preparation of conferences and workshops that address serious topics in our society and engage our students, faculty and the community in inquiry into and discussion of those issues. I expect that Mike long will be a key player in the Law School’s public policy initiatives.”
Gousha, who left WTMJ-TV in August after 25 years, said Marquette offered him a unique opportunity. “I care deeply about this community and the issues we face,” he said. “I see this as an extension of the university’s mission and look forward to having serious discussions of important issues in an atmosphere where the free exchange of ideas is welcome. I am anxious to work with the Law School faculty and others in the university to tackle a wide range of subjects. In addition, the flexibility in this position is very appealing, although I must admit it is a new phenomenon for me.”
Kearney said Gousha’s appointment continues the Law School’s commitment to public engagement on societal issues. He cited such initiatives as this fall’s conference on “Is the Wisconsin Constitution Obsolete?” and the International Restorative Justice Conference, at which survivors and offenders affected by political conflicts from the regions of Israel/Palestine, South Africa and Northern Ireland/United Kingdom shared their personal experiences. “Marquette’s Law School – which both literally and figuratively is Milwaukee’s law school – is a vital intellectual commons with respect to law and public policy matters,” Kearney said. “The addition of a journalist/political observer of Mike’s quality, with his deep interest in public policy, will further the opportunities we have to pursue this mission.”
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3. New undergraduate degree in construction engineering management begins in 2008
The College of Engineering will begin offering a new undergraduate degree program in construction engineering management in the 2008-2009 school year.
The new program at Marquette University will fully educate students to become professional engineers with the necessary skills in business and law to be become leaders in the construction engineering management field. In addition, the graduates will be well educated in terms of communication skills, the importance of professionalism and ethics, which are essential elements of well-educated engineers.
“Construction is one of the largest industries in the United States,” said Dr. Stanley Jaskolski, dean of the College of Engineering. “More than five million people are involved in over $800 billion in project sites throughout the nation. The need for well-educated construction managers exists with government agencies, private corporations, general and specialty contractors, home building and consulting firms, real estate developers and construction material suppliers.
The 2007-2008 academic school year will be used to conduct a new faculty search, organize an advisory committee and promote the new program, which will be housed within the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. The intent is to establish an endowed chair in construction engineering management, awarded to an exceptional individual as determined by standard college-wide promotion and tenure guidelines.
In addition to the new undergraduate degree program, the College of Engineering has also developed nine new graduate certificate programs. Each program requires completion of four three-credit courses selected from a prescribed list. The programs are designed for practicing engineers and other qualified individuals with bachelor’s degrees who wish to update and/or expand their knowledge in a specific technical area.
The certificates are in the following areas:
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
• construction engineering management
• structural design
• transportation
• water and wastewater treatment processes
• water resources engineering
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
• electric machine, drives and controls
• digital signal processing
• microwaves and antennas
• sensors and smart sensor systems
For more information, contact Dr. Michael Switzenbaum, chair and professor of civil and environmental engineering, at 8-6629.
4. Scholarships available from Ethnic Alumni Association
The Ethnic Alumni Association has scholarships available for the 2007-08 school year to provide two Marquette students of color, with demonstrated financial need, a gift of $1,000 each for the next academic year. One scholarship will be awarded to an Educational Opportunity Program student and one to a non-EOP student.
Candidates must complete the online scholarship application and essay by Friday, Feb. 2, 2007. No late applications will be accepted.For more information e-mail or call 8-7439.
5. “Conversations on Learning” features Georgetown professor
