News Article

Gonzaga University’s School of Engineering and Applied Science will celebrate its first 75 years with an Anniversary Gala beginning at 5 p.m., Friday, Sept. 25 in the Carl Pohlad Lobby of the McCarthey Athletic Center. The School will showcase its progress and achievements since it was founded in 1934.

The Herak Center for the School of Engineering and Applied Science. Photo by Eric Galey.

At that time, the world was in the throes of the Great Depression and Gonzaga was not immune from woe. President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s promise of a “New Deal” included massive public works projects such as the Hoover Dam hydroelectric project, which was completed in 1936. In the state of Washington, widespread interest in hydropower sparked construction of the Grand Coulee Dam in July 1933. Engineers were in great demand and Gonzaga seized the opportunity by establishing the School of Engineering (1934).

The School added the computer science program and changed its name in July 2006 to the School of Engineering and Applied Science. However, the School’s emphasis on educating engineering leaders prepared to address emerging societal problems has never changed.

This emphasis led to creation of a major in Engineering Management, a new option for GU engineering students that emphasizes technical and project-management skills. Starting in spring 2010, sophomore engineering students will be able to continue their engineering studies in Florence, Italy through Gonzaga’s Study Abroad Program in Florence.

The 75th Anniversary Gala, $35 per person, includes a social hour and dinner, and is preceded by an open house at 2 p.m. featuring student and faculty demonstrations, and tours of the Herak and PACCAR centers. Alumni and the public are cordially invited to trace the School’s progress to become one of the nation’s premier undergraduate engineering programs.

“I see so many opportunities for the future of Gonzaga engineering during a critical time for our global society,” said Dean Dennis Horn. “We want to graduate engineers with the latest technical know-how, a sense of social responsibility and a desire to work for the common good as they solve these problems.”

Horn references problems such as decaying or inadequate infrastructure, environmental degradation and increased scarcity of resources. “The concept of sustainability plays a major role in the School’s philosophy,” said Horn. “New tools such as nanotechnology and biotechnology must enter our engineering lexicon. We must adapt engineering education to this changing world.”

Visit the following link to register for the festivities or contact Whitney Franklin at (509) 313-5970 or via e-mail.

For more information about this special anniversary event, contact Toni Boggan at (509) 313-3523 or via e-mail.

Read the Dean's Message.