The Alfred J. Ferretti Fund for Academic Excellence in Mechanical & Industrial Engineering will provide a permanent source of working capital for the chair of the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering (or any successor thereof) so they can pursue opportunities to enhance the department’s reputation for quality instruction, research, and student development.

Use of fund income may include, but is not limited to, funding of “startup” packages to help new faculty hires initiate their research with the help of graduate assistants and lab facilities; purchase of faculty release time to permit the development of new courses needed to reflect changing technology and engineering practice; funding for upgrades to undergraduate teaching laboratories, including the department’s Capstone Design Laboratory (or any successor thereof); funding for faculty participation at academic and professional society meetings; support of student professional societies and extracurricular student projects teams (American Society of Mechanical Engineering, Solar Powered Vehicle Team, Mini Baja Team, FIRST student robotics team, etc.)