Swanson School of Engineering
| Type | Public |
|---|---|
| Established | 1846 |
| Dean | Gerald D. Holder |
|
Academic staff
|
121 |
| Undergraduates | 2,798 |
| Postgraduates | 988 |
| Location | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US |
| Campus | Oakland |
| Endowment | $181.9 million (market value) |
| Website | www.engineering.pitt.edu |
 |
|
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.
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. 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. 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 one 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.
Nine individuals have served in the position of the Dean of the School of Engineering over its history.
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.
Research centers housed in the school include:
The University of Pittsburgh Center for Energy is a research center housed in the Swanson School of Engineering that is dedicated to improving energy technology development and energy sustainability. Comprising more than 70 faculty members and 200 students and postdocs, the center was scheduled to be housed on a floor of Benedum Hall undergoing a $15 million renovation. The center was created in 2008 to bring together energy innovators across a range of engineering and academic disciplines. It also sought to develop stronger collaborations with energy industry partners in the Western Pennsylvania. The center's faculty focus on five key areas of research that include energy delivery and reliability, carbon management and utilization, high-temperature and other advanced materials, energy efficiency, and unconventional gas resources. In February, 2012, the center announced it had received a $22 million grant from the Richard King Mellon Foundation. The donation, one of the largest ever grants awarded by the Mellon Foundation or received by the University of Pittsburgh, is targeted to strengthen the center by creating at least four new faculty positions and eight endowed graduate fellowships. It will also purchase equipment and establish a fund to encouraging innovative research focused on smart grid technology, along with providing general support for research infrastructure and the center's operations.
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