Engineers, by the very nature of our work, are philanthropists.  We build, create, investigate and resolve the issues that face society.  Applying passion, intelligence and effort, engineers build the future. 

When we succeed - be it an irrigation system in Africa, a car that drives itself into a crisis zone to rescue the wounded, or an artificial heart for toddlers – the world is a better place.

But success is not a solitary achievement. In our own lives, we can clearly see the hundreds of contributions made to our careers.  Some direct, by family, teachers or friends, some gifts from people that we will never meet or know.  Those strangers who created scholarships, sponsored research, set up fellowships, equipped laboratories – their contributions made our own success possible. 

Do we have a responsibility to pass it on?  It's a personal decision.

Winston Churchill once said, “We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.”   We want the best possible life for all our students, current and former, so for those who choose to pay it forward, we offer the suggestions below.

• Mentorship: A new program is available to support women and minority students by providing an alumni as a mentor. Alumni and students will be matched by common interest or goals, meeting and working within a structured format. Mentors will help students by sharing their professional experience, helping to better equip students for careers beyond college. If you are interested in becoming a mentor, please email us for more information.
  
  

• Internships: Our students are always looking for opportunities to learn job skills. If you are interested in offering an internship to our students, please email CIT Career Consultants Lisa Dickter or Carol Young, or visit the CIT Career Center for more information.
  
  

• Seminars: Guest lecturers are always welcome and highly valued by faculty, students and staff. If you are interested in presenting a seminar, please contact us for more information.
  
  

• Student Projects: We want our students to be challenged and equipped to follow their career path. Some of our courses, particularly product design, encourage industry to contribute needs or ideas for student projects. If you or your company have an interest in participating, contact us to get information on the opportunities available.
  
  

• Financial Support: Thank you for considering a gift to the school. There are many ways to give, as individuals or through your business. Our Creative Giving program allows you to put your money exactly where you think it will do the most good - whether its a PC cluster or a research grant. To support the college at the strategic level, please consider these options:
  
  

  • Fellowships are created to support specific priorities in research and education. The Philip L. Dowd Fellowship recognizes educational contributions and encourages the undertaking of an educational project, the Steven J. Fenves Award for Systems Research recognizes achievement within the Institute for Complex Engineered Systems (ICES) and the Benjamin Richard Teare Teaching Award rewards faculty who demonstrate excellence in education.
    
    
  • Faculty Support is critical to maintain world class quality of education and research. In each of our nine departments, professorships can be established to support a particular faculty member or a field of research. Contributions are used to help faculty members pursue a specific field of study, provide funding for graduate student involvement, equipment or travel.
    
    
  • Facilities Fund
    Your first year at CIT you were probably more concerned with finding your classes than considering who built the rooms they were in.  But the buildings, libraries, labs, equipment determine the learning environment we can offer our students.  We welcome your interest in supporting that environment, however big or small.

If you would like to discuss any of these options, please contact Kelly McQuoid at 412-268-4077. We are happy to help you understand the benefits and requirements, as well as handle the administration of your gift.