Chief executives at major corporations and agencies throughout the U.S. are among the members of the new Dean's Advisory Council established by the UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

The purpose of the council is to provide support and advice to the engineering school in industrial relations, long-term planning and strategy, classroom enrichment, curriculum, student organizations, new programs and placement of graduates in industry. Under the direction of the dean and provost, members will assist the school in developing professional engineers. The council held its first meeting earlier this month.

"The council provides us with an excellent perspective on the relationships between industry, government and the university and its tripartite mission," said Mark Karwan, interim dean of the engineering school.

"We are very excited about the group that Dean Karwan has put together for this Advisory Council. They are talented, committed, enthusiastic, engaged-a "dream team" of friends and alumni who are bringing great perspectives and great challenges to engineering at UB," said UB President William R. Greiner. "It's a model group. It should be the pattern for the kind of volunteer leadership that can bring crucial new dimensions to our efforts to define next directions in all areas of the university."

Erich Bloch, distinguished fellow of the Council on Competitiveness and former director of the National Science Foundation, who received his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from UB, is chair. "At a time when engineering and the applied sciences are experiencing many changes and when R&D reductions are occurring in both the federal and state governments and the industrial sector, it is an appropriate time to be forming an advisory council with people from outside the university," said Bloch. "We hope that with the creation of the council, we can give some valuable input to the dean and the faculty on issues that are important for the future of the school."

Other council members are: Joseph P. Allen, CEO and president of Space Industries International, Inc.; Clement R. Arrison Jr., president of Mark IV Industries; Richard A. Aubrecht, chairman of the board of Moog, Inc.; Eleanor Baum, dean of the School of Engineering at The Cooper Union; John B. Daly, commissioner of the New York State Department of Transportation; Wilson Greatbatch, president of Greatbatch Gen-Aid Ltd., who received his master's degree from UB; Michael J. Kelley, professor of management of technology at Georgia Institute of Technology, and Steven L. Lerner, director of research and development at Praxair, Inc.

Also, James W. McLernon, chairman of the board of American Axle and Manufacturing, Inc.; James Meyer, senior vice president and chief technology officer, Eastman Kodak Research Laboratories; Hiroshi Morihara, president VIA Press, Inc., who received a doctorate from UB; Charles Rader, executive vice president of Occidental Chemical Corp., who received a doctorate from UB; Joseph Roebuck, vice president of worldwide operations, Sun Microsystems Computer Co., and Frank C. Smierciak, senior manager, information services, Motorola, Inc., who received a bachelor's degree from UB.

"It gratifies and reassures me greatly that many able people have willingly come forward to advise and assist the Engineering faculty in shaping their future." said Provost Thomas Headrick. "These are critical times for the university, and we are blessed with many sources of wisdom to help us meet the challenges."