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Posted 10-25-99
Case Western Reserve University's Board of Trustees has approved the creation of three new endowed chairs at the Case School of Engineering, with a total value of nearly $5 million.
The new chairs are the Joseph F. Toot Jr. Engineering Professorship, endowed by the Timken Foundation of Canton for $2 million; the BFGoodrich Professorship for Engineering Innovation for $2 million; and the Allen H. and Constance T. Ford Professorship.
"We are extremely pleased and grateful to receive funding for these chairs," said James Wagner, the school's dean. "Having these additional endowments will help our school further its goals of providing world-class education and research."
The new chairs bring to 16 the number of endowed chairs at the engineering school. They are the first created at the school since 1990.
The Toot chair endowment is the first of what is expected to be a multi-year grant from the Canton-based Timken Foundation to fund the Case-Weatherhead Engineering Management program, a joint program with CWRU's Weatherhead School of Management.
When fully funded, the program will include a full-time director and an industrial associate, along with full fellowship support for the students. Total funding for the program is expected to be $16 million, of which $4.2 million will come from the Timken Foundation.
Toot is the retired president and chief executive officer of the Timken Company. He joined the company in 1962, and was named executive vice president in 1973. He served as president from 1979-97, and as chief executive officer from 1992-97. Currently he is chairman of the executive committee of the board of directors. He is director of the United States-China Business Council, a member of the French Legion of Honor and former chairman of the American Iron and Steel Institute.
The chair endowed by BFGoodrich will focus on advancing research in the field of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). Specifically, the endowment calls for promoting recognized advancement in MEMS research, attracting additional industry and government funding, attracting and training top students, and retaining and growing faculty.
MEMS technology integrates sensors, actuators, and electronics on the same silicon chip, and is a key element in devices such as airbags, "smart" tires, and sensors for detecting ice on airplane wings. The University has one of the nation's top programs in MEMS.
The Ford Professorship will be in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. The endowment stipulates that a distinguished scientist and educator will hold the chair, and that the professor will work closely with other institutions to increase opportunities for collaboration.
Allen Ford has been a member of CWRU's Board of Trustees since 1976, serving as vice chairman from 1985-87 and chairman from 1987-92. He earned an M.S. in engineering administration from CWRU in 1964, and received the University Medal, CWRU's highest honor, in 1994. Constance Ford received an M.A. degree from Western Reserve University in 1953.
"Allen Ford's interest in increasing biomedical research and education in the region and in the community is reflected by the nature of the gift that he and Connie have made," said Wagner. "The Ford professorship will support the leadership of our biomedical engineering program at CWRU, and encourage interactions beyond the department to advance the state of the art of biomedical engineering."
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