When it first opened its doors in 1982, the Florida A&M University-Florida State University College of Engineering boasted only a few dozen bright students.
That founding class — made up of just 35 aspiring engineers — attended classes in borrowed space on both campuses in Tallahassee. Far from its early classroom-sharing days, the college will now celebrate its 30thanniversary in its sleekly modern state-of-the-art facilities in Innovation Park.
Special events are planned throughout the 2012-2013 academic year, including a cake-cutting party held on Nov. 15, and the college’s Web page now features an impressive timeline and cheery, celebratory video greetings of everyone from the former dean to the campus bus driver.
“We are grateful to all those who contributed over the past 30 years to get the college to where we are now and look forward to taking full advantage of our new slogan, ‘Two Universities, One College, Twice the Opportunities,’” said Dean Yaw D. Yeboah. “As we move forward to produce top-quality, innovative and entrepreneurial graduates and nationally ranked programs, we also aim to become a force for economic development locally and in the state.”
Over three decades, the college has gained a reputation for its first-rate faculty and solid academics. It serves more than 2,500 graduate and undergraduate students, and its offerings have expanded to include a world-class academic program.
The college offers a cornucopia of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs that span seven disciplines, and undergraduate programs are fully accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology.
In July, the jointly operated college welcomed Yeboah as its fifth dean. A leader with an awe-inspiring life story, he holds a doctorate in chemical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
To learn more about the cake-cutting party and the history of the College of Engineering, visit http://www.eng.fsu.edu/about/30th/.
Yaw D. Yeboah, center, dean of the Florida A&M University-Florida State University College of Engineering, receives some assistance in cutting a cake celebrating the college’s 30th anniversary.