Michael M. Wood, who is originally from Flint and is the former U.S. Ambassador to Sweden, will offer the Commencement address when Kettering University hosts graduation ceremonies at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 13.  The event is open to the public in the Connie and Jim John Recreation Center.

Kettering will graduate 198 undergraduate and 97 master’s candidates during graduation services.  About 180 undergraduates and 55 graduate students are expected to march at the ceremonies.  University President Stan Liberty will preside and Dr. Henry Kowalski, professor of Mechanical Engineering, will be the grand marshal.  Undergraduate student speaker will be Tyler Finnegan of Elyria, Ohio, who will earn a bachelor’s degree in Management. 

Here are the highlights of the upcoming ceremony:

Saturday, June 13, 2009, 11 a.m.
Connie and Jim John Recreation Center 
No tickets required to attend Commencement 
The event is free and open to the public
Allow 1 1/2 hours for the ceremony 
Presiding: Kettering University President Stan Liberty
Parking is free and available in all campus parking lots 
Information center will be located on the 1st floor of the CC (outside BJ's Lounge, behind the elevators) from 8:30 - 10:45 a.m.
There is no graduation rehearsal
Total graduates: 198 undergraduates, 97 master’s candidates 
Graduates expecting to march: 180 undergraduates, 55 graduate 
Expected number of guests: 1,600 
Faculty will host a light breakfast in the International Room, Fifth Floor of the Campus Center, 8:30-10 a.m. 
Recreation Center doors open at 9 a.m. for visitors to arrive and be seated 
Faculty and staff members assemble for the Processional between 10-10:55 a.m. in the Third Floor, Recreation Center 
Graduates assemble on the first floor of the Campus Center (just outside BJ's Lounge) between 10:30-10:55 a.m.  
Formal processional begins at 11 a.m.

HONORARY DEGREE RECIPIENT: 1
Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters
Michael M. Wood
Former U.S. Ambassador to Sweden
Chair, Redwood Investments, LLC 

Michael M. Wood is a son of Flint.  He grew up in the area and attended Flint’s Whittier Middle School.  After graduating from Yale University, he helped found the leading media company for the housing and construction industry.  His national service included organizing a housing industry round table in 1984 for U.S. President Ronald Reagan and representing the United States during the presidential inauguration in Ecuador in 2003.  In 2006, Mr. Wood was sworn in as the U.S. Ambassador to Sweden.  

Ambassador Wood was very helpful in developing the international collaboration between Kettering, Linkoping University in Sweden and others that is currently creating a waste-to-energy bio-methane center at Flint's wastewater treatment facility. Mr. Wood was also instrumental in hosting the royal visit of His Majesty Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden, to campus on Sept. 26 last year.  Kettering will award Mr. Wood an honorary doctor of Humane Letters.  Read his bio (http://www.kettering.edu/visitors/storydetail.jsp?storynum=2882) and more about the “Crowning event” that brought a king to Kettering’s campus (http://www.kettering.edu/visitors/storydetail.jsp?storynum=2805). 

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT SPEAKER: 1

Tyler Finnegan of Elyria, Ohio, is the undergraduate student speaker and will offer comments on “Resilience and Revolution” to his graduating class.  He will receive a bachelor’s degree in Management.  His co-op was at Delphi Corporation.  He is a 2005 graduate of Elyria Catholic High School in Ohio.     

A student leader and outspoken advocate for cooperative education, he has often represented Kettering in the media, including being interviewed by the New York Times for a national news story on the University.  At Kettering, Finnegan has been involved in Robot Leadership Honor Society, he was president of the Professional Leadership Honor Society, director of KSG Academic Council, a team leader for Student Ambassadors, an RA in Thompson Hall, an active employee at the Recreation Center, a regular contributor to the SuccessZone incoming student portal as the StickMan, College DECA, and a volunteer in the Flint community as part of Junior Achievement and Michigan High School DECA.  He also has served on numerous committees including the Friends of the Library and Archives, Commencement Committee and the WAG-GPA Task Force.   

He has accepted a full-time job at Guardian Industries and will join its leadership development program in Geneva, N.Y. 

OUTSTANDING THESIS AWARD: 1
The Outstanding Thesis Award winner for Spring 2009 goes to Brian L. Dorney of Holly, Mich. He is an Applied Physics major, whose co-op was at Argonne National Laboratory in Argonne, Ill.  His thesis is "Hydrogen Storage by Adsorption in Polymer Materials.” His faculty adviser is Dr. Yuri Sikorski of Physics.  Dorney will be among those feted during the Commencement Honors Breakfast on June 13. 

PRESIDENT'S MEDAL WINNERS: 4
Willy Joseph, Freeport, Bahamas
Kelly Lynn Okapal, Sylvania, Ohio
Scott Michael Skelton, Belleville, Mich.
Abdrahamane Traore, Bamako, Mali, Africa

SOBEY SCHOLARS: 6
Willy Joseph, Freeport, Bahamas
Kelly Lynn Okapal, Sylvania, Ohio
Jarrad Pouncil, Flint, Mich.
Tracy Schmitz, Shelby Township, Mich.
Abdrahamane Traore, Bamako, Mali, Africa
Angela Tremble, Detroit, Mich. 

ACADEMIC HONORS:
Summa Cum Laude (97.0-100): 9
Magna Cum Laude (94.5-96.9):  18
Cum Laude (92-94.4): 28 

TOTAL GRADUATES, BY DEGREE:
Bachelor's Degrees
Applied Mathematics: 1
Applied Physics: 1
Biochemistry: 1
Business Administration: 4
Chemistry: 2
Computer Engineering:11
Computer Science: 2
Electrical Engineering: 31
Industrial Engineering: 20
Management: 4
Mechanical Engineering: 115
Dual Electrical Engineering and Applied Mathematics: 1
Dual Mechanical Engineering and Applied Physics: 2
Dual Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering: 2
Dual Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Engineering: 1
BACHELOR'S TOTAL = 198

Master's Degrees
Engineering: 23
Engineering Management: 6
Information Technology: 5
Manufacturing Management: 8
Manufacturing Operations: 38
MBA: 9
Operations Management: 6
Dual Engineering Management and MBA: 1
Dual Operations Management and Manufacturing Management: 1
MASTER'S TOTAL = 97

FOR MORE ON COMMENCEMENT, visit:
http://www.kettering.edu/registrar/commencement_information.jsp  

HOTELS/RESTAURANTS: Contact the Flint Area Convention and Visitors Bureau: 1-800-24-FLINT or (810) 232-2211.

CAN WE HELP? 1-800-955-4464, ext. 9585, or 810-762-9585. 

Written by Patricia Mroczek
810.762.9533
pmroczek@kettering.edu

Sometimes it's difficult to precisely gauge the perception of people from other parts of the world regarding U.S. based institutions,particularly in this day of social unrest and uncertainty in the Middle East. For many Americans, it's clear that some people in the Middle East view western culture and society with caution, which often makes potential market penetration of U.S. products andservices somewhat difficult.

This is one aspect of why Kettering's Office of Graduate Studies recently established a relationship with an India-based software company that could create a significant, lasting partnership with some of India's renowned institutions of higher education,especially at the graduate level.

NetLink Software Group (www.netlinksoft.net), an India-based global company with offices in Troy, Mich., is working with Kettering's Office of Graduate Studies to offer the master's of science degree in Manufacturing Operations (MSMO) for students in India, which could help foster better relations between the two countries. Founded in 1997, NetLink Software Group is a worldwide provider of professional information technology services and works with many successful companies in the U.S., including DaimlerChrysler, GM, Rubbermaid, Motorola, and Blue Cross/Blue Shield. The organization also provides development, testing and implementation skills to management consultants.

With many U.S. corporations shifting manufacturing operations to such countries as India due to the relatively low cost associated with operations overseas, Kettering officials realize that organizations face specific economic realities that predicate the move ofcertain segments of operations to areas in the world that are more economically beneficial to the corporation. As a consequence, Kettering is following this need, since it provides a great opportunity for global growth of the school's graduate programs.

Kettering's MSMO degree is already the preferred program to support the manufacturing pillar of General Motors' foundation for technical education. After testing the quality of the program using stringent metrics, GM wishes to offer this degree to all of their plant professionals throughout the world.

Part of the need to provide a master's of science degree in Manufacturing Operations to students in India stems from the overabundance of MBA programs from India-based institutions and universities from the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. Furthermore, no institution of higher education currently offers a niche program like the Kettering MSMO in an environment with an increasing demand for well-trained professionals in manufacturing. With many U.S. companies moving manufacturing operations to India in recent years, this advanced degree is even more attractive. As a result of these moves, Kettering has a unique opportunity to deliver high-quality education in new markets.

Kettering Associate Professor Atul Agarwal of the Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering and Business Dept. will serve as program director for this effort. Some of his responsibilities in this new program include making sure that the curriculum is attuned to the needs of local students and the industry in India. In his view, this new partnership will help bolster Kettering's global reach by making students aware of the University's history and experience in training leaders in the manufacturing engineering sector, a number of whom currently lead internationally-known companies.

"Kettering is uniquely positioned to take advantage of these opportunities by leveraging its existing programs and distance learned education infrastructure with a minimum outlay of cost," Agarwal said. "This degree is considered a passport to high paying jobs within Indian and multinational companies."

The partnership with Kettering is one that makes earning the MSMO degree easy for students who live and work in India. NetLink currently has several associations with universities in India and established learning centers where students who wish to pursue the Kettering MSMO degree will take classes. For example, Agarwal said that NetLink enjoys a presence in the Indian education market with a controlling interest in the Fortune Institute of International Business (FIIB), a prestigious post-graduate institution in New Delhi. The organization also has a strong connection with the Technical Teachers Training Institute (TTTI), as well as with government and local industry. For this new offering, Agarwal explained that NetLink arranged important visits for Kettering officials and meetings with officials at various institutions in New Delhi and Bhopal.

Many students who will undertake this advanced degree opportunity will come to the program with a number of different undergraduate degrees already in hand. Thus, the program does not require students to have a manufacturing engineering background to begin the MSMO course work. What also makes this program even more opportunistic is the exposure of the University to a greater number of students and faculty at India-based universities. These professors will assist the program by proctoring exams, leading discussions of videotaped lectures given by Kettering professors, and perform other associated duties. Kettering will also deliver courses through CD-ROM and video streaming technology. Students gain by their participation because they earn a degree from an American university, especially for those individuals who do not have a manufacturing background. This is significant, because the degree program provides in-depth exposure on the latest modern manufacturing operations theories and practices used by leading companies throughout the world.

Additionally, students in India receive the option of completing their last term of study at Kettering University, thus broadening their exposure to western culture and society, which translates into an opportunity to develop a network of contacts with American engineers and executives. This aspect of the program is a departure from offerings available at other U.S. institutions, and further distinguishes the Kettering MSMO program.

Assisting the effort at Kettering's end are Sheri Curtis, coordinator for Continuing Education; David Strubler, associate vice president of Graduate Studies and Corporate Connections; and Tony Hain, vice president of Graduate Studies and Corporate Connections. Agarwal noted that without the leadership of Hain, this program many have never gotten off the ground.

The first class of the program will begin this summer. Kettering is looking into developing a master's of science degree in Information Technology (MSIT) for this market as well. If plans progress accordingly, Kettering will offer both the MSMO and MSIT by the winter 2004 term.

To learn more about this new degree opportunity, contact Kettering's Office of Graduate Studies and Corporate Connections at (810) 762-7953, or visit Kettering's website at www.kettering.edu/graduate/.

Written by Gary Erwin
(810) 762-9538
gerwin@kettering.edu

Thursday, March 27, 25 Kettering graduate students will receive their master's of science degree in Manufacturing Operations and another 45 students who participated in post-graduate course work at Kettering will receive their certificates in Lean and Flexible Production Systems during the 16th annual General Motors Technical Education Program (TEP) Commencement Ceremonies. The event will be from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. at theTom Davis Auditorium of the Pontiac Centerpoint Campus North in Pontiac, Mich.

The keynote speaker for commencement ceremonies will be Troy A. Clarke '78, group vice president of GM Manufacturing and Labor Relations. In addition, William M. Beaumont, executive director of Technical Development for SAAB, will give the welcome address. Robert A Kruse, executive director of Vehicle Systems at GM, will offer closing remarks as well.

Kettering University is among several prestigious universities that boast affiliation with GM through the company's TEP Program. Some of these institutions include Purdue University, the University of Michigan, Michigan Technological University, Carnegie Mellon University and Indiana University.

The TEP Program is General Motors' award winning, corporate-sponsored education program. Founded in 1984, the TEP has a history of changing and evolving to reflect the needs of employees, GM and its customers. Through partnerships with top-ranking universities throughout the country, the TEP brings high quality education to GM employees by incorporating a blend of distance learning techniques, such as video, the Internet, CD-ROM, video streaming and live lectures. For more information on the GM TEP program, visit http://tep.gm.com. For more information about Kettering University's Graduate Studies and Corporate Connections, visit www.kettering.edu/graduate.

Pamela Mader, plant manager at General Motors Morraine Assembly Plant in Ohio, is a classic example of a Kettering/GM-TEP master's degree candidate. In addition to her demanding career she has five-year-old twins (a boy and a girl) at home, who "help her study" by going to bed on time.

Mader chose the GM-TEP Master of Science in Manufacturing Operations degree program through Kettering because "compared to other executive MBA programs, TEP offers tremendous flexibility around scheduling the workload of courses with other requirements of career and family," she said.

Not only has the program flexed around her schedule, it's also relevant to her professionally. "I have found the professors to be knowledgeable and cover cutting edge topics. The courses have been enlightening, and personally, since I am a plant manager and mother of 5-year-old twins, I've found this approach works very well," said Mader. "This program allows me to multi-task and complete the work, for the most part, as much as practicable on my timetable." She expects to complete her degree in 2006.

The most surprising element of the TEP program, for Mader, was how relevant the topics covered in class are. She has been able to apply the principles she learns and incorporate them into improvement realized on the job. "Since GM is a company that embraces life-long learning, this program has really helped me stay abreast of other successful companies' business models and practices," Mader said.

About her role as a woman plant manager in a predominantly male profession Mader said she just focuses on doing the job and developing and supporting her employees. " I know, at times, however, having a female perspective on the business helps to link my actions with the desires of our female customers," she said.

Mader received her bachelor's degree from Purdue University School of Technology. She grew up on a farm in Craigville, Ind., approximately 25 miles south of Fort Wayne. She currently lives in Centerville, Ohio with her family.

This website provides PDF copies of conference proceedings published by faculty on recent research efforts, as well as science journalism that has appeared in national media outlets on research activities undertaken by Kettering faculty members. The goal behind this website is to help the University connect in deeper ways with visitors and alumni by posting original research, science journalism and links to interesting websites and books that may be of interest. The Kettering University Technical Publications Website Committee will play a crucial role in ensuring that materials posted on the website provide appropriate citations to copyrighted work and receive permissions to reprint work.

For Bob Werenski, a 1961 graduate of Kettering/GMI and member of the University's Alumni Association Board of Directors, and one of the champions of the new website, this resource would serve as a point of reconnection for many alumni who have not visited the institution since their graduation. "It would help readers experience in a direct way the role our University is playing in their continuing interest in science, math, engineering and business," he said.

The benefits to faculty would include an additional outlet to promote their research efforts, receive additional recognition by their peers, stimulate learning and communication between readers and other researchers, and finally demonstrate the practical aspects of science, engineering, math and business, which are at the root of the Kettering brand of education.

To learn more about this website, contact Judy Howald, associate vice president of Individual Giving, at (810) 762-9759.

Written by Gary J. Erwin
(810) 762-9538
gerwin@kettering.edu

Officials of the two universities signed an academic partnership agreement on Tuesday, March 21, that will blend the strengths of Kettering's internationally known engineering and technical programs with UM-Flint's fully accredited Master of Business Administration degree. Ceremonies were hosted in the William White Building.

The dual program will consist of a master's of science degree in Manufacturing Operations (MSMO), granted by Kettering, and a master's of Business Administration (MBA) degree, granted by UMF. The partnership also entails the potential for coursework to be taken at Kettering for the Lean Manufacturing concentration in UMF's MBA program.

The formal partnership is a continuation of an informal initiative announced in January when the presidents of Kettering, UM-Flint, Mott Community College and Baker College pledged to work together in a variety of ways to better prepare the region's workforce for today's knowledge economy.

Two faculty members helped lead the way in this newest "College Town" partnership. Kettering's Atul Agarwal, associate professor and director of the MSMO program and Yener Kandogan, assistant professor of Business Economics at UM-Flint, worked together to finalize many of the details and are being credited for the positive potential of this collaboration.

For more information on Kettering's portion of this dual degree, contact Dyan Doyle.

University of Michigan - Flint
The University of Michigan-Flint is one of three campuses of the University of Michigan.This year, the University will celebrate 50 years of serving the citizens of the city of Flint and the surrounding region. UM-Flint is committed to thehighest standards of teaching, learning, scholarship, and creative endeavors. With its urban location, the university has the opportunity to provide a University of Michigan education to students with varied life experiences. The community is invested in the University, and together we work to enhance the cultural, economic, intellectual, and social vitality of the city and region. U-M Flint students choose from over100 undergraduate and 27graduate programs in the liberal arts and in a number of pre-professional and professional fields.

Kettering University
Kettering University, formerly called General Motors Institute, is one of the country's premier co-op institutions. It provides 2,500 undergraduate students with career-based education in engineering, applied sciences, mathematics, and business management. Students receive instruction from faculty who are active in research and committed to excellent teaching in the classroom. Founded in 1919, the University also offers graduate programs in engineering and manufacturing management. Kettering has been continuously ranked among the nation's finest specialty schools by "U.S. News and World Report."

NEW! DUAL MASTERS DEGREE PROGRAM MSMO / MBA with proposed Lean Manufacturing Concentration (Click here for more information)

Written by Pat Mroczek
810-762-9533
pmroczek@kettering.edu

It began in 2002, when Joe Spielman, a vice president at GM as well as the company key executive for Kettering, initiated the idea of a common educational footprint for manufacturing operations professionals. In December 2002, GM and Kettering signed an agreement that made the University's master's of science degree in Manufacturing Operations (MSMO) the preferred degree for manufacturing professionals who work for GM. GM employees can enroll in the MSMO program through the company's prestigious GM Technical Education Program (TEP, http://tep.gm.com/) and take classes from many sites in the world via an assortment of distant learning delivery modes.

Based on the success of this program in the last few years, GM decided to take the MSMO program to all of its manufacturing plants worldwide. Tony Hain, vice president of Graduate Studies and Corporate Connections at Kettering, explained that this endeavor, "presents a unique opportunity for the University to take one of its graduate programs into China, Australia, India, or wherever GM facilities operate. It opens doors for Kettering to become a global player in the higher education market."

In response to the needs expressed by GM, Kettering initiated a process to revise the current curriculum for the MSMO and globalize the academic content to better reflect the dynamics and theories used in the field today. The purpose is simple: to provide the latest information on best manufacturing practices worldwide. This approach will help audiences from any part of the world learn advanced techniques used in today's manufacturing environment based on cultural, societal and professional expectations of various markets. This change is also based on Kettering's success and years of industry experience crafting degree and continuing education programs that respond immediately to current industry challenges.

Dr. David Strubler, associate vice president of Kettering's Graduate Studies and Corporate Connections, explained that the University's MSMO can further enhance the education, skills and talent of GM manufacturing professionals because of the expertise of Kettering professors. "Instructors are in the process of redesigning the curriculum to include, for example, cross-cultural negotiations, international supply chain management and global case studies using regional examples," he said.

Recently, Dr. Atul Agarwal, associate professor and director of the MSMO degree program at Kettering, lead the University's participation in a global needs assessment survey with GM TEP to identify global and regional level knowledge content needs of GM facilities in different regions of the world. The respondents to the survey included a cross section of GM professionals worldwide. According to Agarwal, "results of this global survey will form one of many important piece of input in redesigning the global MSMOcurriculum."

Diane Landsiedel, seniormanager of the GM Technical Education Program, feels that Kettering's efforts help the company fulfill the technical education program in several ways. "Our high potential manufacturing professionals must be able to work collaboratively and through virtual means from anywhere in the world," she said. "To win greater market share, GM must develop its organizational capability worldwide. Kettering offers one of the best manufacturing operations programs in the world and its MSMO helps satisfy a critical component of the GM Technical Education program."

This sort of activity is the kind of thing companies and institutions of higher education can take advantage of in the future if they wish to prosper in an environment that is becoming more globally focused each day. "I believe that for a university to succeed in the global marketplace," explained Agarwal, "it must form productive partnerships with businesses and universities, and capitalize on each other's expertise in different areas. This is what we are doing with the MSMO as we prepare to offer it on a global basis to GM professionals worldwide."

To learn more about the MSMO and other graduate degree, continuing education and other post-bachelor courses, contact Kettering's Office of Graduate Studies at (810) 762-9500, or visit www.kettering.edu/graduate/. GM employees can visit http://tep.gm.com for further information.

By Gary J. Erwin
(810) 762-9538
gerwin@kettering.edu