Swanson School of Engineering

Swanson School of Engineering
Established 1846
Type Public
Dean Gerald D. Holder
Academic staff 118[1]
Undergraduates 2104[2]
Postgraduates 751[2]
Location Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Campus Oakland
Endowment $92.0 million[3]

The Swanson School of Engineering is the engineering school of the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1846, The Swanson School of Engineering is the second or third oldest in the United States.[4]

Contents

History

The Swanson School of Engineering evolved out of the Western University of Pennsylvania, the former name of the University of Pittsburgh, offering specialized engineering subjects to students, although they were still required complete their classical requirements. The first graduates in these engineering subjects were Isaac Morley and J. B. Stilly in 1846.[5] Separate degree programs in mechanical and civil engineering were announced in 1868, and four year degrees resulting in separate engineering degrees were first implemented in 1870.[6] The school was the university's response to the years surrounding the Civil War that transformed Pittsburgh's industrial base from regional to international.

By 1868, specialized degrees in civil and mechanical engineering were initiated, with mining engineering following in 1869 and electrical engineering in 1890. In 1909, the Metallurgical Engineering department was established, followed by the chemical engineering department and the world's first petroleum engineering department in 1910. Also that year, one of the nation's first undergraduate cooperative education programs was created. The Swanson School of Engineering is also the home of the nation's first industrial engineering departments, established in 1921.

In 2007 the school was renamed to the Swanson School of Engineering after John A. Swanson, founder of the computer software firm, ANSYS, Inc., donated a total of $41.3 million to the school.[7]

Deans

Nine individuals have served in the position of the Dean of the School of Engineering over its history.

Deans of the Swanson School of Engineering[8]
Years Dean
1882-1908 Daniel Carhart
1910-1927 Frederick L. Bishop
1927-1950 Elmer A. Holbrook
1951-1963 G. Raymond Fitterer
1965-1973 Harold E. Hoelscher
1973-1985 Max L. Williams
1986-1993 Charles A. Sorber
1994-1996 H.K. Chang
1996-present Gerald D. Holder

Academics

The Swanson School of Engineering offers undergraduate, graduate degrees, and doctorates in 6 academic departments:

Academic programs offered by the school included Bioengineering, Chemical Engineering, Petroleum Engineering, Civil Engineering, Mining Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Engineering Science, Industrial Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Nuclear Engineering.

See also

References

  1. ^ Swanson School of Engineering Statistical Summary For the 2010 Academic Year. University of Pittsburgh. 2010. p. 68. http://www.engineering.pitt.edu/WorkArea/linkit.aspx?LinkIdentifier=id&ItemID=2147488126. Retrieved 2011-10-11. 
  2. ^ a b Swanson School of Engineering Statistical Summary For the 2010 Academic Year. University of Pittsburgh. 2010. p. 52. http://www.engineering.pitt.edu/WorkArea/linkit.aspx?LinkIdentifier=id&ItemID=2147488126. Retrieved 2011-10-11. 
  3. ^ Swanson School of Engineering Statistical Summary For the 2010 Academic Year. University of Pittsburgh. 2010. p. 218. http://www.engineering.pitt.edu/WorkArea/linkit.aspx?LinkIdentifier=id&ItemID=2147488126. Retrieved 2011-10-11. 
  4. ^ Alberts, Robert C. (1986). Pitt :the story of the University of Pittsburgh, 1787-1987. Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh Press. p. 403. ISBN 0-8229-1150-7. http://digital.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=pittmiscpubs;cc=pittmiscpubs;g=documentingpitt;xc=1;xg=1;q1=lrdc;rgn=full%20text;idno=00c50130m;didno=00c50130m;view=image;seq=423;page=root;size=s;frm=frameset;. Retrieved 2010-08-12. 
  5. ^ Starrett, Agnes Lynch (1937). "Schools of Engineering and Mines". Through One Hundred and Fifty Years: The University of Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh Press. p. 309. http://digital.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=pittmiscpubs;idno=00afj8718m;seq=373. Retrieved 2010-10-13. 
  6. ^ Starrett, Agnes Lynch (1937). "Schools of Engineering and Mines". Through One Hundred and Fifty Years: The University of Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh, PA: University of Pittsburgh Press. pp. 310–311. http://digital.library.pitt.edu/cgi-bin/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=pittmiscpubs;idno=00afj8718m;seq=374. Retrieved 2010-10-13. 
  7. ^ Templeton, David (2007-12-06). "Pitt engineering school renamed for alumnus giving $41.3 million". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pittsburgh, PA). http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07340/839618-85.stm. Retrieved 2010-10-13. 
  8. ^ Swanson School of Engineering Statistical Summary For the 2010 Academic Year. University of Pittsburgh. 2010. p. 4. http://www.engineering.pitt.edu/WorkArea/linkit.aspx?LinkIdentifier=id&ItemID=2147488126. Retrieved 2011-10-11. 

Further reading

Fitterer, George Raymond; Palucka, Tim (2004). A history of the University of Pittsburgh School of Engineering 1846-2004. Pittsburgh, PA: Cathedral Publishing. ISBN 1887969136. 

External links