DATE: April 13, 2007

CONTACT: Chris Przirembel, (864) 656-7701
cprzmbl@clemson.edu

WRITER: Susan Polowczuk, (864) 656-2063
susan.polowczuk@clemsonews.clemson.edu

Clemson University presents endowed chair medallions

CLEMSON — Clemson University today presented Endowed Chair Medallions to Todd H. Hubing, holder of the Michelin Endowed Chair in Vehicular Electronic Systems Integration and faculty member of the department of electrical and computer engineering, and to John C. Ziegert, holder of the Timken Endowed Chair in Automotive Design and Development and faculty member of the department of mechanical engineering.

The endowed chairs are part of the faculty to be located in the Carroll A. Campbell Graduate Engineering Center at the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) in Greenville. The program was made possible by the South Carolina Legislature’s Research Centers of Economic Excellence Endowed Chairs initiative.

Hubing joined the Clemson faculty in 2006 to pursue research in vehicle electronic systems integration. Systems integration is the management of increasingly complex interactions between electrical, digital and mechanical technologies in automobiles, aircraft, manufacturing equipment, buildings, computer systems and many other platforms.

Ziegert also joined the Clemson faculty in 2006. He leads research initiatives in analysis and design of instruments and machines for automotive manufacturing and testing. Ziegert coordinates collaborative research and development projects between the university’s faculty and graduate students and engineers at the Timken Technology Center at CU-ICAR.

In addition to the medallions Hubing and Ziegert received at a luncheon at Thornblade Club, Clemson University President James F. Barker presented a medallion to representatives of Michelin and Timken, the companies that made the endowments possible. Medallions also will be displayed in the Campbell Graduate Engineering Center.

Barker said Clemson successfully searched for the right people to fill the chairs and to lead Clemson’s new and unique academic programs in automotive engineering.

“In Todd Hubing and John Ziegert, Clemson recruited two top-flight engineers as an integral part of the graduate engineering program at CU-ICAR, which is unlike any other in the world in its approach to educating engineers to work in the complex systems and the global environment of today’s automotive industry,” he said.

A pioneer in automotive research, Michelin was one of the first partners in CU-ICAR, funding the endowed chair and associated laboratory in February 2004. Michelin will use the center for some of its automotive research, including electronics systems for tires.

“Professor Hubing’s research has attracted the attention of automotive partners the world over,” said Jim Micali, chairman and president of Michelin North America. “His strong collaboration with other industry and academic partners will help ensure the long term success of CU-ICAR and its partners.”

Headquartered in Greenville, Michelin North America employs more than 22,000 and operates 19 major production facilities in 17 locations.

The Timken Company manufactures highly engineered bearings, alloy steels and related products and services with operations in 26 countries, 25,000 employees and sales of $5 billion last year. Jacqui Dedo, president of Timken’s automotive division, said Ziegert’s expertise has brought both industry and academic leadership to the endowment.

“John Ziegert is in the unique position with the endowed chair to combine research with innovation to develop friction management and power transmission solutions that will transform the automotive industry and other industrial markets,” said Dedo.

Clemson began its new Ph.D. degree program in automotive engineering with an emphasis on systems integration in August 2006. Students are taking courses on the Clemson campus until the expected completion of the Carroll A. Campbell Jr. Graduate Engineering Center on the CU-ICAR campus in August 2007, when the M.S. program also will begin.

CU-ICAR is a new model for economic development in South Carolina, matching Clemson’s strengths in automotive engineering with the state’s strong automotive economic cluster. Located on the Interstate 85 corridor, between Charlotte, N.C., and Atlanta, Ga., CU-ICAR is situated in the Southeastern automotive and motorsports economy.

The 250-acre “technopolis” is where BMW, Michelin, Timken, SUN, the Richard Petty Driving Experience and other corporate partners are joining with Clemson to focus on automotive research and other transportation issues. CU-ICAR has generated more than $215 million in investments and pledges, and by fall 2007, the first phase of development –– Technology Neighborhood 1 –– will be complete, accounting for more than 500 new jobs.

Symbolic of the university’s most prestigious academic positions, the bronze Clemson University Endowed Chair Medallion bears a sculptured image of the university’s seal. The medallion may be worn during university ceremonies, such as convocation and commencement.