A $3.5-million gift to the College of Engineering will give the school's new leader, Dean Stephen Director, a new title and a few new projects.
The dean of the College of Engineering will now carry the official title of "Robert J. Vlasic Dean of Engineering." The dean will use financial returns on the initial $3.5-million gift to fund academic and research projects of personal interest.
"The endowed deanship is fully discretionary," said Brad Canale, executive director for public relations for the College of Engineering. "The stream of money doesn't start for awhile. I'm sure by the end of the year (Director) will have some ideas for what he wants to do."
Canale said the school approached Vlasic with the idea, and that Vlasic accepted the proposal.
Vlasic, who is the honorary chair of a fund-raising campaign for the College of Engineering, said the concept of this donation "struck a responsive chord." Vlasic said he has donated money in the past, but said in this case he was especially attentive to the flexibility the funds would give the dean.
"I've always been impressed with what people on the firing line can do with some discretionary funds," Vlasic said. "They can use it on a timely basis when they see a need."
Vlasic graduated from the University in 1949, with degrees in industrial and mechanical engineering. In 1963, he assumed leadership of Vlasic Foods Co., a Michigan pickle producer, until it was sold to Campbell Soup Company in 1978. Vlasic has worked as a director of Campbell's Soup for the last 18 years.
Provost J. Bernard Machen said the gift sends a message about the University's leadership. "This gift will stand as a visible statement of the central importance of good management in an academic enterprise," Machen said.
Vlasic said the fact that the dean's title will carry his name is "kind of a nice plus," but that the key factor in his choice to donate the money was that good might be done with it.
"The key item is to make those funds available," Vlasic said. "Time will tell how good an idea it was."
Director was named Engineering dean in April after serving as engineering dean at Carnegie Mellon University.