Aerospace engineering gets grant

By Carrie Porche Jones, On-Line Forty-Niner

Monday, October 12, 1998

Cal State Long Beach was one of nine universities out of 112 candidates nationwide chosen to receive matching grants from the Society of Manufacturing Engineers.

The $250,000 grant will be used to help the aerospace engineering department upgrade the education of future manufacturing designers, CSULB officials said.

Dr. Turner Cebeci, chairman of the department, said the two- year grant will be used for two purposes.

The first is addressing competency gaps, an issue the industry feels affects the quality of workers.

"Companies think that graduating engineering students should have good communication, writing skills and business skills. They must be good engineers and good salesmen," Cebeci said.

One of the goals of the department is to offer marketing programs in the College of Engineering. Keith Polakoff, vice president of academic affairs, will help with the planning of education courses, Cebeci said.

"We will get together with professors who are currently working on details for modifying the curriculum." Cebeci said.

The second goal of the grant is to develop a closer relationship with the industry in regard to curriculum. Cebeci said the department is working with Boeing North American for help with the department's current courses.

Boeing matched the grant with a $60,000 donation, CSULB officials said.