Kate Gleason College of Engineering History
1885 Mechanical drawing classes are offered.
1896 Electrical engineering classes are offered.
1912 The department of industrial arts, including mechanical, electrical, and chemistry courses, is established.
1940 The electrical department is established. The mechanical department is established.
1945 RIT offers associate degrees in electrical and mechanical technology.
1953 RIT offers bachelor of science degree programs in mechanical and electrical engineering.
1965 Dr. Edward T. Kirkpatrick is named dean of engineering.
1967 The James & Eleanor Gleason Trust gives $500,000 to endow the institute’s first endowed chair, a professorship in mechanical engineering.
1969 ABET accredits the electrical and mechanical engineering departments’ bachelor of science programs.
1970 Industrial engineering offered in the College of Engineering.
Master of science programs offered in electrical and mechanical engineering.
1971 The College of Applied Science changes its name to the College of Engineering.
1971 Dr. Edward T. Kirkpatrick is named dean of College of Engineering.
1972 Dr. Richard A. Kenyon is named dean of College of Engineering.
The College of Engineering establishes three departments: electrical, industrial, and mechanical engineering.
1975 ABET accredits the industrial engineering department’s bachelor of science program.
A computer engineering program offered jointly with electrical engineering department and the School of Computer Science.
1975- 1976 The College of Engineering’s enrollment reaches 1,061 students.
1980 Computer engineering is established as separate department solely within the College of Engineering.
1980- 1981 College of Engineering enrollment reaches 1,428 students.
1982 The microelectronic engineering program is offered in conjunction with the College of Graphic Arts & Photography and the College of Science. It is the first undergraduate microelectronic engineering program in the world.
1985 A master of science degree in materials science and engineering is offered.
1985- 1986 College of Engineering enrollment reaches 2,208 students.
1986 The Center for Microelectronic and Computer Engineering is dedicated. An honorary Ph.D. is presented to Jack Kilby, inventor of the integrated circuit and now a Nobel Prize winner.
1987 ABET accredits the computer and microelectronic engineering departments’ bachelor of science programs.
The College of Engineering’s first master of science degree offered in microelectronic engineering.
1989 Dr. Charles Haines named acting dean of the College of Engineering.
1990- 1991 College of Engineering enrollment reaches 1,789 students.
1990 Dr. Paul Petersen is named dean of the College of Engineering.
The College of Engineering offers a master of science degree in microelectronic engineering through distance learning.
1991 College of Engineering faculty support a new Ph.D. program in imaging science.
1991- 1992 Center for Quality & Applied Statistics moves to the College of Engineering.
1993 The James E. Gleason Professorship in mechanical engineering is established.
1994 The Motorola Professorship is established.
1995 Earl W. Brinkman Professor of Screw Machine Technology is established.
1995- 1996 College of Engineering enrollment reaches 1,900 students.
1997- 1998 The design development and manufacturing department is introduced in conjunction with College of Business.
1997- 1998 The department of software engineering is introduced jointly with the department of computer science.
1998 The College of Engineering is renamed the Kate Gleason College of Engineering.
2000 Intel Professor of Research and Technology professorship is established.
Dr. Harvey Palmer is named dean of the Kate Gleason College of Engineering.
2000- 2001 College of Engineering enrollment reaches 2,043 students.
2000- 2001 The software engineering program moves to the B. Thomas Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences.
2002- 2003 A Ph.D. program in microsystems engineering is introduced.
2003 The Kate Gleason Endowed Chair is filled.