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Wayne State College Of Engineering To Celebrate 80-Year Anniversary

DETROIT (WWJ) -- The Wayne State University College of Engineering will celebrate its 80th anniversary throughout October with a number of exciting events and activities including career fairs, a ceremony honoring a former dean, the college's annual gala, an open house for prospective students and a trivia contest highlighting the college's important milestones.

Established in 1933, the college has a long history of improving quality of life through education, innovation and entrepreneurship. Its faculty has pioneered research in automotive safety and injury biomechanics, transportation, manufacturing, green technologies, and more. Its students exceed in and out of the classroom, and its more than 25,000 alumni drive innovation in all 50 states and 48 countries.

"I've been fortunate to call myself a member of this remarkable community for the past 25 years," said College of Engineering Dean Farshad Fotouhi. "Each day, I meet with students, alumni, faculty members and college friends who share an overwhelming curiosity and passion for making their world better through engineering. Inspiring people make for an inspiring place, and we continue to build on that 80-year tradition."

According to Fotouhi, the college's future priorities include providing even more undergraduate research, internship and co-op, and hands-on experiences for students, as well as further enhancing its research focus on cross-disciplinary efforts in continuously growing fields such as automotive safety, big data, energy solutions, engine optimization, healthcare, materials and manufacturing, and transportation.

"Our college is well-positioned to lead our state and nation in these fields thanks to a rich foundation and our groundbreaking researchers. Our future is very bright," Fotouhi said.

College of Engineering October events include:

Career Fairs, Oct. 3 and Oct. 10
The college continuously provides its students and alumni with more opportunities for jobs and internships thanks to long-standing, collaborative partnerships with area employers. On Thursday, Oct. 3 and Thursday, Oct. 10, the college will again open its doors to employers recruiting in manufacturing, energy and utilities, information technology, automotive, food and beverage industries, robotics, health care, medical or chemical industries, architectural engineering, and civil and environmental engineering. More information is available at this link.

American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) technical tour, Oct. 16
The college has a long history of leading research in the areas of engine combustion, emission controls, alternative and renewable fuels, electric vehicle technology, and automotive safety and is home to the nation's first electric-drive vehicle engineering program and alternative energy technology master's program. The ASME Internal Combustion Engine Division's 2013 Fall Technical Conference, hosted by Wayne State University, will bring industry leaders to the college for a technical tour on Oct. 16. More information is available at this link.

Fall Open House for prospective students, Oct. 19
High school and transfer students can stop at the college to learn more during the university's Fall Open House on Saturday, Oct. 19, from 9 a.m. to noon. More information is available at this link.

Rededication of the Ralph H. Kummler Commons, Oct. 25
The late Dean Ralph Kummler -- who joined the college as an assistant professor in 1970 and led its community as dean for eight years beginning in 2004 -- will be honored via a rededication ceremony in the newly renovated Kummler Commons area between the Marvin I. Danto Engineering Development Center and the Engineering Building. The event is set for 4 p.m. More information is available at this link.

Night of the Stars, Oct. 26
The college community will celebrate its 80th anniversary during its annual signature event, Night of the Stars, on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2013, at the Westin Book Cadillac Detroit. The college will also induct five exemplary alumni into its Hall of Fame. This year's alumni honorees include Robert Brown, EMMP '95; Joseph Louvar, PhDChE '83; Randy Rogers, BSCE '80, MSCE '84; Donald Smolenski, MSChE '79, PhDChE '90; and Shyam Veeramachineni, MSCE '95. More information is available at this link.

"80 Years, 80 Questions" quiz, Oct. 1-28
College students, faculty and staff members, alumni and friends will have the opportunity to test their college knowledge and take part in the 80 Years, 80 Questions trivia contest. Top winners will receive free swag.

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