Vandal Giving Day 2025

Join us for the Engineering Design EXPO on Friday, April 25 at the ICCU Arena. U of I engineers are Brave, Bold, and Unstoppable!

The University of Idaho College of Engineering is recognized as one of the top seven programs by the National Academy of Engineering! Why? Because we infuse real-world experiences into engineering education through industry-sponsored projects, paid internships and cooperative education programs and personalized attention from nationally and internationally recognized faculty.
 
In our college, 94% of students graduate with jobs or are enrolled in graduate school or military service. Our graduates go on to work with top employers including NASA, Apple, Amazon, Google, Micron, SEL and more.

Please consider making a gift during Vandal Giving Day to support:

 Dean's Innovation Fund

 Dean Suzie Long's vision is to empower faculty researchers to explore
 bold ideas and solve the world's biggest challenges. The Dean's
 Innovation Fund supports our world-class research and the advancement
 of pioneering ideas, strengthening our competitive edge for grants and
 new industry partnerships. The fund targets high-need areas within the
 college, which increases our ability to recruit and maintain high-quality
 faculty and provide professional development opportunities for students.

Thanks to the generosity of the Robert and Gloria Furgason Family, gifts to the Dean’s Innovation Fund will be matched dollar for dollar—up to $10,000—to help advance bold ideas and high-impact initiatives in the College of Engineering.

College of Engineering High-Tech Maker Space

The new High-Tech Maker Space will be a dynamic hub for hands-on learning, where engineering and computer science students can explore emerging technologies such as AI-driven system simulations, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and digital twins. Students will gain valuable experience in both physical and virtual prototyping while working collaboratively across disciplines. The space will also support student-led K–16 STEM outreach initiatives, including popular coding and robotics camps that inspire future engineers. Designed to foster innovation, creativity, and real-world problem-solving, the lab will be located in the Janssen Engineering Building.  

Thanks to Shelia Janssen-Klages for this incredible challenge to kickstart the High-Tech Maker Space in the College of Engineering! This space will drive cutting-edge research, and your gift moves us closer to making it a reality. Every 5 gifts will unlock $10,000—up to $50,000 total!

Engineering Student Clubs and Organizations

A great way to get our students involved with real, live engineering experiences is to join a student chapter of one of the many national and international professional engineering organizations. Student clubs and organizations encourage leadership and collegiality with classmates in an informal setting, mentorship by upperclassmen and graduate students, and provides networking experience with area and regional professionals. It's an integral part of an Engineering student's college experience and provides great opportunities to get involved and gain experiences outside the classroom. Many of our student organizations travel to regional or national meetings and compete in design competitions or technical presentations. 

The 5th gift to Engineering Student Clubs will unlock a $1,000 gift from Ray and Joana to the Vandal Robotics Club; the 10th gift will unlock $1,500 from Krista Maretta Brown to the American Society of Civil Engineers; and the 15th gift will unlock an additional $3,000. Every gift helps!

Questions about Vandal Giving Day?
For more information, email the College of Engineering Assistant Director of Development, Ryelee Schlueter, at ryelees@uidaho.edu.