Private Gift Launches Specialized Engineering Institute at Iowa State
26 Sept. 2007
Contacts:
Mark J. Kushner, Dean of the College of Engineering, (515) 294-9988
Pam Reinig, Engineering Communications and Marketing, (515) 294-0261
Kim Kindvall, Communications Office, ISU Foundation, (515) 294-5779
Ames, Iowa—Iowa State University’s College of Engineering has received a $500,000 gift from an engineering graduate and his wife to establish the Engineering Policy and Leadership Institute (EPLI). This gift from James and Julie Balloun will officially launch the program, which is focused on increasing both the engagement of engineers in state and national policy making as well as the number of engineers in elected positions.
“We are extremely grateful to James and Julie Balloun for their wonderful gift to establish the Engineering Policy and Leadership Institute,” said ISU President Gregory L. Geoffroy. “This institute will strengthen our College of Engineering as a leader in preparing graduates for successful careers both as engineers and as developers of policies affecting the engineering profession worldwide.”
Ed Jaselskis, professor of civil and construction engineering, has been named the first EPLI director. Jaselskis will oversee the institute which consists of three main components: the Engineering Leadership Program (ELP), the Engineering Faculty Fellowship Program (EFFP), and the EPLI Thematic Year (ETY).
“A distinctive aspect of this program is its emphasis on developing public policy leadership skills at the undergraduate level,” said Ed Jaselskis, EPLI director. ISU will not only produce technically strong students with a grasp of key issues facing our society but also individuals with the right skill set to provide leadership in industry and government to shape public policy in addressing these key issues.”
The goal for the institute is to help engineering students and faculty learn more about current legislative policies and understand how their expertise can help inform and shape public opinion. And, in the long run, EPLI hopes engineers will hold leadership roles in public policy development.
“EPLI will also serve as a conduit for faculty to assist the legislative process and companies needing expertise in addressing a variety of technical issues having societal impact. In turn, this work can provide greater exposure and funding opportunities for Iowa State,” said Mark J. Kushner, dean of Iowa State’s College of Engineering.
James Balloun, a 1960 graduate of ISU’s College of Engineering in Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering, is a retired CEO of Acuity Brands, a company that specializes in providing chemical products in the institutional and industrial, and retail markets.
The gift was made through the ISU Foundation, a private, non-profit corporation dedicated to securing and managing gifts and grants that benefit Iowa State University.
EPLI component details:
Engineering Leadership Program (ELP) is a student-based leadership program launched in the fall of 2006. The ELP admits cohorts of students who are committed to a four-year program in which they are engaged in increasingly higher levels of leadership experiences and responsibilities. The ELP experience includes internships with congressional or legislative committees and delegations with state or federal agencies.
The Engineering Faculty Fellowship Program (EFFP) will sponsor engineering faculty who serve on the staffs of legislative or congressional committees and delegations or with state or federal agencies. Faculty will learn about the governing process and development of public policies dealing with technology and bring that knowledge back to ISU. The faculty fellows will also provide a source of unprejudiced third-party advice on technical issues to the delegation or agencies that they serve. The program will annually position two faculty members in residence in Washington D.C.
The Engineering Thematic Year (ETY) is a year-long, thematically based activity to host visitors and conduct seminars and workshops focused on issues of national importance where technology is needed for resolution. The ETY will culminate with a capstone workshop at which the results of the year-long activity will be made public.
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