School of Engineering and Computer Science at Oakland University Receives Large Grant

$50,000 DENSO Grant to Aid Engineering Students in Academia and Beyond

A $50,000 grant from the DENSO North America Foundation will support multiple programs and enhance educational opportunities for students in Oakland University’s School of Engineering and Computer Science.

The grant will fund the purchase of industry-standard equipment, including a MIG welder, sheet metal shear, fixtures for a Siegmund welding table, torque wrenches and specialty tools, and a 3-D scanner. In addition, the funds will support necessary upgrades to the university’s Thermodynamics Lab, which is a key element of the core classes required of all Oakland engineering students.

Over the past several years, support from the DENSO Foundation has provided Oakland University (OU) engineering students with the tools and technologies to succeed in academia and the workforce, according to Brian Sangeorzan, professor and chair OU’s Mechanical Engineering Department.

“The DENSO Foundation has been a wonderful supporter of our engineering programs,” Sangeorzan said. “Their ongoing generosity allows us to provide an important ‘hands-on’ component to our curriculum that better prepares our students for their careers, and allows our student teams to stay competitive with some of the best schools from around the world.”

This year’s DENSO Foundation grant also promises to boost the educational experience and competitive edge of students in Oakland’s award-winning Formula SAE and Autonomous Vehicle Teams. The purchase of cameras, motor controllers and a laptop computer will enhance the vehicle sensing and control capabilities of the Autonomous Vehicle Team, and a Megasquirt 3™ engine controller and CAN bus instrumentation will allow the Formula SAE team to create an on-board CAN bus and to log engine and vehicle performance data.

Oakland’s award was part of a total of nearly $1 million in grants that the DENSO Foundation distributed among 22 colleges and universities nationwide to advance the auto industry by providing students with professional-grade equipment and experiences similar to what they will encounter during their careers.

“Innovation throughout the manufacturing industry will continue to produce more growth opportunities for students in skilled trades and technical fields,” said Doug Patton, president of the DENSO North America Foundation and executive vice president of Engineering at DENSO International America, Inc. “Companies will lean on this young workforce for years to come, and in order to succeed we need to empower students by giving a better sense for what they’ll experience in the workplace.”

To learn more about Oakland’s School of Engineering and Computer Science, visit oakland.edu/secs.