ME-EM DEPARTMENT ENDOWMENT: $10 MILLION

Faculty Professional Development Fund
Travel budgets expand and contract depending on where the budget lines are drawn in any particular fiscal year. Serious researchers and innovative teachers cannot work in isolation; they must present their work at meetings, meet with book developers and participate in professional activities with their peers. Helping faculty stay on top of their fields requires endowed financial support.

Equipment Fund
Faculty need cost-share funds for equipment that is unique to their disciplines, programs and research areas, and for updating equipment as technology changes. What is state-of-the-art today may be outdated tomorrow. Reacting quickly to technological changes requires flexible funding sources.

New Faculty Start-Up Fund
To successfully compete with other universities for new faculty, ME-EM must offer competitive salaries, and a more than competitive starting package. Start-up packages as large as $500,000 may be required to fund the expensive equipment needed by leading-edge researchers. The department must have discretionary funds to acquire equipment, computer hardware and software.

Distinguished Seminar Series
Now in its third year, as of 2002-2003, our seminar series brings intellectual stimulation from outside the university campus. Funding ensures visits from distinguished members of academia, government and industry which will broaden interests and expose our students and faculty to the best scholars, researchers and teachers, resulting in lively interaction, motivation and future research.

Discretionary Fund
Academia is no more immune to unanticipated expenses than business and industry. A dedicated source of funding can alleviate unexpected crises and smooth budgetary ups and downs.

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