CORPORATE SUPPORT: ZURN WILKINS AND VIASAT

Pipeline to Poly

PLUMBING PRODUCTS COMPANY WANTS TO MAINTAIN THE FLOW OF CAL POLY GRADS

Mike Luhrs (left), a mechanical engineering student who interned at Zurn, works with Brian Yale, a design engineer and Cal Poly mechanical engineering graduate. T en of the 17 engineers employed at Zurn Wilkins in Paso Robles, California, are Cal Poly graduates — which gives Engineering Manager Chris Corral a pretty good feel for how the College of Engineering prepares students for industry.

“Cal Poly’s Learn by Doing approach to education goes beyond theory and exposes students to the practical side of engineering — a strong advantage for engineers in our business,” he said.

As part of Zurn Engineered Water Solutions, a plumbing products manufacturer with multiple facilities and distribution centers across the globe, Zurn Wilkins employs about 180 people, including Cal Poly alumni in operations, marketing, finance and customer care. Having witnessed how Cal Poly makes engineering graduates day-one ready, Corral (mechanical engineering, ’06) wanted Zurn to support the college. So he was instrumental in establishing the Zurn Industries Mechanical Engineering Scholarship.

“Zurn prides itself on giving back to

its local communities and supporting higher education,” he said. “As a Cal Poly mechanical engineering graduate, I was excited to have the opportunity to allocate a significant portion of Zurn’s annual charitable giving contributions to the university that gave me, and many of my peers, the education and skills needed to become professionally successful.”

The scholarship provided three students with $5,000 this school year. The facility has also sponsored a shop tech and a senior project at Cal Poly. While providing money to students, the scholarship also helps maintain that pipeline to Zurn.

“Sponsoring shop techs and providing scholarships are ways Zurn can give back to the community while generating brand awareness,” Corral said. “Much of Zurn’s success has come from the work done by Cal Poly graduates, and we want to keep that trend going by keeping engineering students aware of Zurn and the potential employment opportunities found locally after graduation.” n

VIASAT Donation to support IME students, faculty

Global communications company Viasat recently continued its long support of Cal Poly by offering a $20,000 donation that will fund student programs and support new and existing faculty in the Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering Department.

“Just as we have grown into new areas of knowledge in the field of industrial engineering, Viasat’s support has given us the ability to develop more of our own expertise and bring that knowledge into the classroom,” said Department Chair Dan Waldorf.

Based in Carlsbad, California, Viasat provides high-speed satellite broadband services and secure networking systems covering military and commercial markets. It’s also a popular landing spot for Cal Poly graduates — with 122 Cal Poly alumni working there.

“Part of Viasat’s culture is that we are intellectually curious, tolerate ambiguity, and are always striving for a better way,” said Brandon Lobb, a campus specialist for the West Coast. “We face challenges that do not always have a clear process or answer. Similarly, Cal Poly students often are encouraged to take on new problems and work to find new ways to solve them.”

The recent $20,000 gift will cover needed investments in faculty professional development for updating skills and researching new methods and trends that can be shared with students, other faculty and the broader industrial engineering community. n