Marquette University Receives Largest In-Kind Contribution in its History $30 million software grant from UGS enables students to experience technologies used by leading industry employers Released: June 21, 2005 PLANO, Texas and MILWAUKEE – Marquette University and UGS, a leading global provider of product lifecycle management (PLM) software and services, today announced the largest in-kind contribution ever presented to Marquette University. The NX™ PLM software UGS is providing to the university has a market value of more than $30.5 million. "Marquette is proud to partner with UGS to deliver to our students the finest there is to offer in software technology. This significant and historic contribution will allow Marquette students from various disciplines to gain the expertise they need to be leaders in their fields,” said Rev. Robert A. Wild, S.J., president of Marquette University. The grant, which follows a 2002 UGS software contribution to Marquette valued at $10.7 million, will enable the university to enhance its mission of academic excellence, providing students with state-of-the-art technology, training that mirrors the professional world and the opportunity to use top quality software in research. Specifically, the software will be used for research in Dr. Jim Factor's Geometric Modeling Lab in the Department of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science, as well as by students and faculty in Chemistry, Biology and Engineering. IT Services at Marquette will provide network service to enable faculty and students across the university to explore applications of the UGS software in their own research and teaching. "Our students will be at the cutting edge of the latest technology as a result of the opportunity to learn from the UGS software. And it won't be limited to just one department. We expect students from across campus in a variety of fields to be able to gain from the applications of the software,” said Dr. Michael McKinney, dean of the Helen Way Klingler College of Arts and Science. "We are proud to team with Marquette's strong academic leaders and gifted students,” said Dave Shook, president of UGS' Americas central region. "Our expanding partnership with Marquette will enable us to strengthen the bond between UGS and our core customers by developing future employees that have experience with the newest developments in technology and design. It is crucial that students are trained in industry standards and gain practical knowledge of today's business drivers in order to help our clients develop innovative products and methodologies that improve their businesses.” About GO PLM UGS' GO PLM initiative leads the industry in the commercial value of the in-kind grants it provides and brings together four complementary community involvement programs focused on academic partnership, regional productivity, youth and displaced worker development and the PACE (Partners for the Advancement of Collaborative Engineering Education) program. GO PLM provides PLM technology to more than 800,000 students yearly at nearly 8,000 global institutions, where it is used at every academic level – from middle schools to graduate engineering research programs. For more information on GO PLM and the partners and programs it supports visit http://www.ugs.com/partners/goplm/ . About Marquette University MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY, a Catholic, Jesuit university located in downtown Milwaukee, the nation's 17th largest city, provides a wealth of opportunities to explore career interests and sharpen critical professional and personal skills. U.S. News & World Report ranked Marquette University as one of the nation's 50 best college values -- schools "where students can get the best education for their money." (Sept. 2001) In embracing the missions of the university and the College of Engineering, it is the mission of the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering to offer high quality, up-to-date, nationally recognized engineering programs, which prepare students for successful careers. About UGS UGS is a leading global provider of product lifecycle management (PLM) software and services with nearly 4 million licensed seats and 46,000 customers worldwide.  Headquartered in Plano, Texas, UGS' vision is to enable a world where organizations and their partners collaborate through global innovation networks to deliver world-class products and services while leveraging UGS's open enterprise solutions, fulfilling the mission of enabling them to transform their process of innovation.  For more information on UGS products and services, visit www.ugs.com. Office of Public Affairs Contacts Brigid O'Brien Miller Director of University Communication Phone: (414) 288-7445 Send e-mail