Department plans year-long celebration to mark anniversary

TheĀ Department of Mechanical EngineeringĀ at the University of Delaware will launch a year-long celebration of its 125th anniversary during Welcome Weekend, Aug. 27 and 28, with a reception in the Design Studio for all incoming ME freshmen.

Events throughout the year will include a homecoming tailgate, a senior design celebration, an industry day, an ME ā€œbuild-a-thonā€ during Engineers Week, and a special celebration for ME graduates at Commencement. The year will culminate during Alumni Weekend 2017, with events aimed at reconnecting with alumni.

ā€œWeā€™ve worked hard to plan events for everyone ā€” from incoming students and industrial partners to alumni and the broader community,ā€ says Jill Higginson, associate professor and ME125 chair. ā€œItā€™s been interesting to see how the department has evolved over the years while retaining its roots with common elements in the curriculum.ā€

Led by Higginson, the ME125 committee, which includes faculty, staff, alumni and graduate and undergraduate students, also worked with the College of Engineering Communications Team to create a ā€œLook Bookā€ that provides a view into MEā€™s past and present through photographs and anecdotes.

ā€œThe materials that we accessed to create the book provided us with profound insights into where we started in 1891 and how far weā€™ve come in terms of technology, diversity, facilities, and hands-on learning opportunities for our students,ā€ says Suresh Advani, department chair and George W. Laird Professor.

ā€œWeā€™re proud that weā€™ve been ā€˜building engineers for 125 years,ā€™ and we look forward to engaging our alumni and the greater community as we develop new strategies for educating the engineers of the 21st century.ā€

For more information about the anniversary events, visit theĀ websiteĀ and follow the celebration onĀ Facebook.

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EngineeringMechanical Engineering Turns 125