 | Thomas Kim and IEP Director John Grandin.
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$500,000 raised to honor engineering deanWhen Thomas Kim stepped down in February as dean of the College of Engineering to return to the classroom, he left behind a legacy that includes new facilities, an expanded International Engineering Program, and a host of partnerships with the engineering community throughout Rhode Island. To recognize his many accomplishments, a celebration was held in early May attended by a Who’s Who of engineers in the state and at which it was announced that nearly $500,000 has been raised in his honor.
“Tom has paid a lot of personal attention to the engineering and manufacturing industries in Rhode Island,” said Henry Nardone, chairman of the College of Engineering Advisory Council. “He’s made countless one-on-one visits to CEOs, identified those businesses that employ graduates from his programs, and he’s been very astute at building programs that feed into the engineering and manufacturing needs of the state.”
Some of Kim’s proudest moments came during the annual awards banquets for the College of Engineering Hall of Fame and Founders Club, when he honored dozens of influential engineering alumni. These events helped to develop a strong core of support for the College.
Kim’s outreach efforts have paid off. During his 11-year tenure as dean, he partnered with the University’s development staff to raise more than $23 million for the College through his masterful way of speaking to the needs of the College and encouraging people to respond to those needs.
“It’s unusual for technical people like Tom to have an interest in fundraising, but a good deal of the credit for his success is due to his personality. He’s very friendly and sincere and very credible,” Nardone said. “You talk with the guy for half an hour and you come away realizing you’ve made a pledge of $25,000.”
“The quality of Tom’s leadership as dean has inspired people to support the College of Engineering at every level,” said Senior Development Officer Robert Clough. “It has been a privilege for me to work with a man of such honor and integrity.”
During Kim’s tenure, enrollment in the College of Engineering increased significantly, the average student SAT scores climbed by 20 percent, and all eight of the College’s academic programs received maximum accreditation. In addition, French and Spanish tracks were added to the International Engineering Program, which has developed a reputation as one of the best in the nation and helped to build bridges between the College and the global engineering industry.
“I enjoyed every day of my service to the College of Engineering,” Kim said. “Most of what I accomplished could not have been done without the support of faculty, alumni and industry.”
The funds raised in Kim’s honor this year will be used for a wide variety of purposes, including the Engineering Program Support Fund, scholarships, individual department activities, the International Engineering Program, and the Thomas J. Kim Scholarship Fund.
Now that he’s returning to the classroom and lab, Kim looks forward to restarting his research in the field of high-pressure water jet technology. He’ll also continue his collaboration with the U.S. Navy to provide student internship opportunities at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center and elsewhere. “And,” the former dean said, “I especially miss teaching and interacting with students. I can’t wait to get back to more of that.”
By Todd McLeish
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