As a member of the Shippensburg University's College of Arts and Sciences Advisory Board, Tim Smith '91 was delighted when Dr. James Mike, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and faculty in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, began discussing the creation of an engineering program. "Dr. Mike had a real passion for starting an engineering program," said Tim, whose degree is in business education and office administration from the John L. Grove College of Business. "But it shocked me how quickly he and everyone in the college got it started." The new computer engineering undergraduate program prepares students for careers in a host of industries. In his position as vice president of client services for OnPoint, a technology consulting firm for the federal government, Tim sees firsthand the need for qualified engineers. "This is a field that the United States needs to develop, which will help us continue to grow our economy and the country," he said.
Inspired by the university leadership's enthusiasm for what he believes will be a real asset for SU, Tim and his wife Jill, whose daughter also graduated from SU in 2011, established the Tim and Jill Smith Engineering Endowment with a significant commitment to the SU Foundation's Charting the Course, Lighting the Way campaign. The endowment will be funded partly through a planned gift in the form of a life insurance policy. Part of the Smiths' campaign gift also created the Tim and Jill Smith Scholarship. "We want to help talented students who don't have the money to go to college attend Shippensburg University," Tim said.
