College of Engineering, University of Idaho - November 21, 2009
Centennial 1907 - 2007 College of Engineering
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Historical Events in University of Idaho College of Engineering History
1958-2007
February 7, 1962
The University Curriculum Committee established a standing committee on Information Science that includes the topic of instruction in computers and computer science.
1964
Chemical Engineering Chair Robert R. Furgason helped establish a career guidance and visitation program to Idaho high schools, as well as a freshman scholarship program to bring talented young scholars to Chemical Engineering.
1967
President Hartung broke ground for the Buchanan Engineering Laboratory building.
1967
As part of the effort to increase Engineering student recruitment, Professor Ron Byers initiated a summer program of the Idaho Chapter of the Junior Engineering Technical Society (JETS). Simultaneously, Chairman Furgason of Chemical Engineering helped develop an active chapter of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE).
November, 1968
Dean H. Sidwell Smith organized an Advisory Board to the College, with plans to develop goals for the College, help upgrade faculty salaries, obtain modern equipment, and make recommendations for improving the College's programs.
May 5, 1972
The Board of Regents approved establishment of an MS degree in Computer Science at INEEL in Idaho Falls.
1974
Dean Furgason helped to initiate the Engineering Video Outreach Program, which is now known as the Engineering Outreach Program.
1975
The Center for Applied Thermodynamic Studies (CATS) was established. CATS research results are used in a variety of Engineering applications throughout the world.
1976
After obtaining a grant from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, the first real course work in the Engineering Outreach Program started.
1978
CATS hosted the first International Workshop on Equations of State. The second was held in West Germany in 1980, the third in London in 1982, and the fourth at UI in 1985.
1980
Margrit von Braun, daughter of famous German scientist Werner von Braun, developed a summer program for high school students called the Idaho Science Camp.
1981
Final approval was received to disband the General Engineering Department and form the new Computer Science Department.
October, 1982
Construction began on the new Agricultural Engineering Laboratory and was completed one year later.
1985
Through the Electrical Engineering Department's Microelectronics Research Center (MRC) founded by Professor Gary Maki, the first Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) chip was completed demonstrating the College's VLSI capability.
1987
Prototype 5 Chip VLSI Processor was completed and delivered to NASA.
1988
MRC was designated one of nine National Engineering Research Centers for NASA, specializing in the design of high performance computers.
1988
HP® and Micron® each donated $100,000 to fund the collaborative effort in Boise between UI and BSU. The legislature provided permanent funding in 1989.
1990
The first three students graduated from the new Boise Engineering program, with degrees in Electrical Engineering.
1993
The Department of Mechanical Engineering hosted the first Design Fair on the Moscow campus to showcase the work of senior design projects. The event was later renamed the Design Expo and is currently the largest event of its kind west of the Mississippi River.
August, 1996
UI Engineering program in Boise moved to its new location in the MK Plaza Building. Dr. Larry Stauffer was named the Boise Engineering program director.
1996
TechHelp was established through federal funding from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
September 27, 2001
Dr. Peter Goodwin of the COE - Boise Ecohydraulics program was named the DeVlieg Presidential Professor in Ecohydraulics.
March, 2002
The Idaho legislature passed House Concurrent Resolution 60 authorizing the State Building Authority to issue bonds to build the Idaho Water Center.
November, 2002
Construction on the building foundation began at the site of the Idaho Water Center located on Broadway Avenue at Front Street in Boise.
February, 2003
The Outreach Program began offering courses via DVD in addition to VHS.
September, 2004
UI students debuted their prototype hydraulic-hybrid pickup truck at the INEEL Science and Engineering Expo in Idaho Falls and at Idaho Department of Transportation's conference on transportation investment in Boise.
October, 2004
John R. Sturgul (professor of mining engineering) received the 2005 Mineral Industry Education Award from the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers.
2005
Two papers by Peter Griffiths' research group were selected as the most significant publications in near infrared spectroscopy for the previous two years, as recognized by the Gerald S. Birth Award.
September, 2005
Gustavo Davico, UI chemist, and his student researchers were able to identify a better way to convert methane from natural gas to methanol - a discovery that could potentially lead to safer, less expensive alternatives to transport natural gas to consumer centers.
July, 2005
UI's Engineering Outreach program was ranked 17th in the nation for comprehensive technical programs, offering master's in engineering degrees online and in other "distance formats."
2006
Ten UI civil engineering students took honors at the American Society of Civil Engineers PNW Regional Student Conference at Oregon Institute of Technology in Klamath Falls.
Using their capstone design project, a group of students created a water filter using natural products and tested it in African Villages.
September, 2006
College of Engineering Dean Aicha Elshabini received the Daniel C. Hughes Jr. Memorial Award for lifetime achievement in microelectronics.
2007
The College of Engineering began it's 100th year of offering comprehensive engineering education to the state. The number of alumni from the college neared 13,000.