Recognizing the 100th Anniversary of Engineering Education At California State University, Fresno

Floor Speech

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Mr. McCARTHY. Mr. Speaker Pro Tempore, I rise today to recognize the 100th Anniversary of Engineering Education at California State University, Fresno. Since its founding, the Lyles College of Engineering at Fresno State has prepared the Central Valley's engineering workforce by providing a quality education for college students.

The origin of Fresno State's engineering programs dates back to the 1922-1923 academic year, when Professor Herbert Wheaton was hired as the university's first civil engineering instructor with 35 students enrolled in the program. In the decades to come, the College of Engineering would only continue to expand with the emergence of the civil engineering, electrical engineering and mechanical engineering programs. Fresno State launched its geomatics engineering program in 1979, which became the first accredited professional geomatics program in the United States to prepare students for careers in surveying and engineering related to the earth's surface. Today, the Lyles College of Engineering offers a comprehensive set of seven undergraduate degree programs, including architectural studies, civil engineering, computer engineering, construction management, electrical engineering, geomatics engineering, and mechanical engineering, as well as five graduate degree programs.

Over the past 100 years, Fresno State has educated tens of thousands of engineering students and has contributed to the development of a highly skilled engineering workforce for California and the nation. Fresno State graduates have made great strides in the Central Valley, the United States, and around the world. Today, over 60 percent of its students are the first to attend college in their families.

Lyles College has produced presidents and CEOs of large corporations, astronauts, entrepreneurs, designers, construction managers, engineers, and innovators who have served in both public and private sectors. Notable alumni include: Sam Iacobellis, an icon of the aerospace industry who led the manufacturing of the B-1 bomber during the Cold War; James Kardach, a tech innovator who contributed greatly towards the development of the Bluetooth standard; and Colonel Rick Husband, astronaut and commander of the U.S. Space Shuttle Columbia. A total of 26 alumni from Lyles College have been honored with Fresno State's distinguished Top Dog Alumni.

Today, Lyles College is an essential part of educating the future workforce and preparing students with the technological skills required to succeed. In addition to its impact on the students it serves, the Lyles College of Engineering has strong partnerships with local and regional industry groups and government agencies, and it is a catalyst for regional economic development.

Lyles College has contributed valuable research in areas such as transportation, structural engineering, water technologies, deep space networks, and agricultural technologies. At the dawn of its second century, Lyles College is well positioned for growth in innovation, research, and academic programs, and it will continue its leadership and impact in the greater San Joaquin Valley of California and beyond.

On behalf of the 20th Congressional District of California, I would like to congratulate the students, faculty, staff, and leadership at the Lyles College of Engineering for 100 successful years of engineering education at California State University, Fresno, and know that Fresno State will continue to be integral in graduating the next century of innovators of our Valley, State and Nation.

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