Caterpillar foundation donates $850,000 to University of Missouri-Rolla

Monday, December 26, 2005

ROLLA - The Caterpillar Foundation has pledged $850,000 over five years to support several engineering education programs and initiatives at the University of Missouri-Rolla.

The foundation is the philanthropic arm of Peoria-based Caterpillar Inc., a leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, and industrial gas turbines. Caterpillar is also a top employer of UMR graduates.

The $850,000 gift will provide support for a variety of programs, including:

* The UMR Minority Engineering and Science Program, which provides comprehensive academic, social and financial support to African American, Native American and Hispanic American students who are interested in pursing a degree in engineering, science or computing. The program, one of the oldest in the nation, was established in 1974.

* The UMR Student Design and Experimental Learning Center. The center, established in 2000, is the umbrella organization for many of the university's nationally recognized engineering design teams.

* Coursework development for the UMR School of Engineering. The funds will support curriculum development in Six Sigma, a process for continuous improvement of everything from manufacturing to management.

Caterpillar's gift will also help fund scholarships, the metallurgical engineering program in the department of material science and engineering, the factory automation controls program in the department of electrical and computer engineering and development programs in mechanical mining, electrical and computer and materials engineering.

UMR works to keep its curriculum current to meet the needs of Caterpillar and other industry leaders, said Dr. Robert Mitchell, dean of the School of Engineering.

"Our students not only learn the latest technical approaches, but also learn to communicate, work in multi-disciplinary teams, understand the global contest in which they work, and keep on learning," Mitchell said. "The partnership between Caterpillar and UMR helps prepare UMR for the challenges of working in world-class technical environments."

In addition to the five-year gift, the Caterpillar Foundation is donating equipment and funding for the Mechatronics Lab. The lab will combine mechanical, electronic and software engineering disciplines.

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