[September 12, 2011]

Santa Clara University's School of Engineering Celebrates 100 Years

Santa Clara University's School of Engineering will celebrate its 100^th anniversary this academic year with a series of events, including visits from industry leaders such as Intel's President and CEO Paul Otellini (News - Alert) and Apple's Co-founder Steve Wozniak, as well as a look into the future to examine how engineering will change in the next 100 years.

Much has changed since 1911, when SCU's new engineering program began with just five students enrolled as undergraduate engineering students. Today, more than 1,600 students are studying civil, computer, electrical, and mechanical engineering, as well as bioengineering, applied mathematics, and engineering management and leadership.

Throughout the last 100 years, the School of Engineering has made significant contributions to the community and the world, including helping to rebuild the Mission Church in 1926 after it burned down and even providing engineering and science and management training for people in war industries during World War II. For decades, SCU has been leading the way to a sustainable future with alternative fuel research in the 1970s and recent successes in the 2007 and 2009 U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon competitions. SCU is also the only university in the U.S. to do all mission operations and ground segment development for NASA satellites as part of a student program.

Today, SCU's engineering students not only think logically and analytically but operate ethically and compassionately by finding solutions to basic needs such as water, housing, and electricity. They travel to places as far away as Africa and Central America to conduct research and design structures that deliver clean water or innovate products never seen before, such as a neonatal incubator that's powered by the sun so that marginalized communities with inadequate infrastructure and resources can save premature babies.

"In the course of the School of Engineering's 100 year history, two things have remained constant-a deep commitment to academic and ethical excellence and the development of exceptional engineers of integrity who are primed to begin lives and careers for the betterment of the world," says Godfrey Mungal, dean of SCU's School of Engineering.

During the 2011-12 academic year, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and industry leaders will gather on campus for several panels, presentations, and celebrations to mark the centennial. They include:

• Oct. 6 at 7:30 p.m. - President's Speaker Series: Intel (News - Alert) Corporation's President and CEO Paul Otellini tackles how we can prepare young people today so they will continue to innovate and solve some of our world's biggest challenges tomorrow.
• Oct. 8 at 10 a.m. - A Century of Engineering Excellence: Former dean of engineering, professor of mechanical engineering, and Silicon Valley Engineering Hall of Famer Terry Shoup provides an insightful perspective on the 100-year history of SCU's engineering.
• Oct. 17 at 4 p.m. - Ethics, Innovation, and Running a Green Company: Serious Energy CEO Kevin Surace looks at the ethical issues that arise in his industry and how he addresses them.
• Jan. 26 at 7:30 p.m. - President's Speaker Series: Apple's (News - Alert) Co-Founder Steve Wozniak joins us for a conversation on how personal computers have changed the world and affected the developing world in terms of education and politics. Then, he makes his predictions for the future.
• Feb. 22 at 4 p.m. - The Next 100 Years of Santa Clara Engineering: What's next in engineering? Hear from SCU's engineering professors who make their own predictions on everything from space travel to earthquake-resistant buildings.
• Feb. 23 at 4 p.m. - Santa Clara's John J. Montgomery - Aeronautics Pioneer: Who invented aviation? If the Wright brothers come to mind, you'll want attend this event to learn about the true pioneer, an SCU alumnus and professor who ushered in a century of engineering excellence at Santa Clara.
• April 5 at 7:30 p.m. - President's Speaker Series: Rice University's James McLurkin explores the idea that robots can not only learn information but also teach each other.
• May 10 - 42^nd Annual Senior Design Conference: From energy-efficient fuel cells to hurricane-resistant homes, graduating seniors present their designs for improving people's lives.

About Santa Clara University

Santa Clara University, a comprehensive Jesuit, Catholic university located 40 miles south of San Francisco in California's Silicon Valley, offers its more than 8,800 students rigorous undergraduate curricula in arts and sciences, business, theology, and engineering, plus master's and law degrees and engineering Ph.D.s. Distinguished nationally by one of the highest graduation rates among all U.S. master's universities, California's oldest operating higher-education institution demonstrates faith-inspired values of ethics and social justice. For more information, see www.scu.edu.

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