Impact Report
An annual publication from the Office of University Advancement on the importance of philanthropy.
(On the cover) MSOE Regent Daniel Moceri ’76 has touched the lives of dozens of students. Learn why supporting scholarships has been a personal passion.
Your powerful impact
Each year I’m truly inspired by the extraordinary accomplishments we achieve when our MSOE community comes together to support our mission.
In fiscal year 2024, MSOE launched the Growing Extraordinary Together campaign, matching new commitments to support scholarships. MSOE’s scholarship program has a direct impact on the lives of our students by making a degree more affordable. This effort would have not been possible without the generosity of our donors.
This year also marked the opening of the Patricia E. Kern Conservatory of Music. MSOE has always attracted students with a love of music, but until this year they never had a dedicated space to practice and store their instruments. This beautiful new facility was made possible entirely thanks to private philanthropy.
One of our proudest new traditions is the outpouring of support from MSOE’s alumni, faculty, staff, parents, friends and students during our annual Giving Day. This year was a smashing success, breaking all previous records and securing more than $700,000 in support for programs across campus in just 24 hours.
What I’ve learned in my time as president is that behind these remarkable feats are thousands of dedicated donors who embody the spirit and dedication needed to make these milestones possible.
In this annual report from the Office of University Advancement, I hope you are inspired by the stories that illustrate the important role private gifts have made to our university.
Thank you for your steadfast support of MSOE and for continuing to keep our campus at the forefront by providing a commitment to excellence for the students we serve.
Sincerely,
John Y. Walz President
To view a list of all MSOE Donors for Fiscal Year 2023–24 visit msoe.edu/impact
investing in the future. impact is ...
“I think my first gift to MSOE was $25. It wasn’t much but it got me started on a road to helping others.”
MSOE Regent Daniel Moceri’s ’76 journey to MSOE started decades ago, but today his legacy of support continues to grow, making countless opportunities possible for students.
Growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, Dan took an early interest in anything technical. “In high school I earned extra money rebuilding cars and selling them,” he said. When it came time to choose a college, a high school counselor recommended MSOE.
As an engineering student, Dan thrived and helping others came naturally. In addition to serving as a senior resident advisor, he also supported MSOE’s second president, Karl Werwath, the son of MSOE’s founder, Oscar Werwath. “I did numerous things for him—chauffeured him around, got his groceries, did repair jobs around his house and provided other miscellaneous support.”
In 1976, Dan graduated from MSOE with a degree in electrical engineering technology and earned his master’s in management from Northwestern University in 1985. In 2016, he received an Honorary Doctor of Engineering from MSOE. Today, he is co-founder and executive chairman of Convergint, a global systems integrator headquartered in
Schaumburg, Illinois. He also serves as a partner in Moceri + Roszak, a Chicago-based real estate developer.
DAN CREDITS A LOT OF HIS CAREER SUCCESS TO THE MANY SKILLS AND FUNDAMENTALS HE LEARNED AT MSOE. AS A WAY OF SAYING THANK YOU, HE GIVES BACK—ANOTHER THING THAT COMES NATURALLY TO HIM.
“MSOE is an incredible place. Supporting this university both strategically and financially is a way to say thank you to all those great people who helped me achieve this success and help future students so they too can exceed their wildest dreams and achieve a similar level of success.”
In 2013 Moceri joined the MSOE Board of Regents where he served as chairman from 2018–2021 and is currently a member of the Executive Committee and chair of the Governance and Nominating Committee.
For the last decade, supporting the education of students through scholarships has been a personal passion. In 2014 he established the Daniel J. Moceri Scholarship to support MSOE undergraduate engineering students.
This past January, Dan put up a generous $500,000 match, helping MSOE launch the Growing Extraordinary Together Scholarship Campaign. The campaign provides a dollarfor-dollar match for any new commitments of $25,000 or more to support scholarships.
This campaign provides more support for students like sophomore industrial engineering major Emily. Her family immigrated to the United States from the USSR for a better future. Emily chose MSOE because she fell in love with the
stability a degree in engineering would provide to her and her 3-year-old daughter Leila. Because of Dan, she now has an opportunity to create a better life for them and teach her daughter that anything is possible.
“I want her to know she can do anything: to be fearless, help others in return and reach for her dreams,” said Emily. “Thanks to support from the Moceris, I can.”
“I am thrilled to be able to have played a small part for scholarship recipients as they walk across the stage and graduate,” said Dan. “It is even more exciting as an employer to watch these young women and men contribute from the time they set foot into the workforce to when they become the leaders of tomorrow.”
Dan says while he’s extremely grateful for the doors that his education at MSOE opened, his motivation to give back in more meaningful ways was instilled in him through his late wife Sharon.
“She was my role model when it came to helping others. MSOE was always one of our top non-profits to support and where our legacy continues to help make a difference today.”
He’s hoping his story inspires others in the MSOE community to make this commitment.
“I strongly encourage all MSOE alumni to pay it forward. One day that student who was able to attend MSOE because of your generosity will also be able to pay it forward and you will feel like you are on top of the world.”
(Above) Emily, pictured with her 3-year-old daughter Leila, is an industrial engineering major at MSOE. Emily is a recipient of the Daniel J. Moceri Scholarship.
fostering connections from sweets to scholarships. impact is ...
As a local, family-owned chemical manufacturing and distribution company, Hydrite has a legacy of recognizing potential across Milwaukee and giving back to the community.
In 2023, Hydrite formed a partnership with the STEM Center at MSOE supporting one of the center’s most popular programs to date: Candy Chemistry.
MSOE’s Candy Chemistry program was designed by MSOE faculty member Dr. Anne-Marie Nickel to teach third through fifth grade students about chemistry through fun experiments using candy. Hydrite’s sponsorship and volunteer support of the program has allowed the STEM team to expand Candy Chemistry, now running two sessions each year. Erin Egstad, recruiting manager for Hydrite, was looking for an opportunity to engage the company’s employees and spread the word about the importance of STEM education.
“Because of Hydrite’s support we can keep the program’s costs low, support faculty-led instruction and provide scholarships for students with financial need,” said Liz Taylor, MSOE director of STEM. “Hydrite employee volunteers also made it possible for us to expand the class size.”
For Courtney O’Connor, lead analytical chemist at Hydrite, the program has been a great way to share her expertise with students and engage with them in an exciting way.
“As a chemist myself, I remember my love of chemistry starting at a very young age when I was exposed to fun, hands-on experiments, so it’s extremely rewarding to have a helping hand in doing the same for these students,” she said.
Hydrite’s partnership with MSOE continues to grow. In January, the company established the “Hydrite STEM Scholars Award” to support two MSOE scholarships for students majoring in mechanical engineering, biomedical engineering, or chemical and biomolecular engineering. Thanks to MSOE’s Growing Extraordinary Match Fund, a new scholarship-matching gift program, Hydrite’s initial support will have double the impact, funding four annual scholarships beginning this fall.
“Hydrite has a rich legacy of fostering support within the communities where we operate,” Erin said. “The Hydrite Helps program was founded on four core pillars: children’s needs and development, education, environment and addressing local needs. Through this new scholarship with MSOE, we are proud to intersect multiple facets of our pillars, and further deepen our partnership with the university.”
WHETHER TEACHING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL KIDS ABOUT THE CHEMICAL MAKEUP OF A SNICKERS BAR OR PROVIDING FUNDING TO HELP EDUCATE FUTURE ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS, HYDRITE’S PARTNERSHIP WITH MSOE ILLUSTRATES HOW WORKING TOGETHER CAN LEAD TO NEW WAYS OF HELPING THE COMMUNITY AND INSPIRING FUTURE GENERATIONS.
As for Courtney, she can already see the influence of Hydrite’s partnership on young learners. “I truly enjoy seeing these students exposed to so many diverse and fun handson chemistry experiments that help them question and wonder about the world around them. The absolute best part is seeing their faces light up when they discover something new for the first time.”
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MSOE Philanthropic Milestones,
Fiscal Year 2023–24
Alumni and friends helped raise $135,834 for student scholarships during the annual REGENTS’ GOLF O UTING .
SCHOLARSHIP MATCHING PROGRAM MSOE launched a new scholarship matching program, Growing Extraordinary Together. New multi-year pledge commitments of $25,000 or more are matched dollar-for-dollar by MSOE and its generous benefactors.
JULY ’22
JAN ’24
PATRICIA E. KERN CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC — The Patricia E. Kern Conservatory of Music was dedicated, providing students ample space to pursue their musical passions. Generous gifts from Regents Dr. Bob Hillis and Dr. Kathy Ruehlow ’72 made the facility possible.
GIVING TUESDAY — In 24 hours, the MSOE campus community raised $8,130 to support both our students and MSOE campus initiatives including Diversity and Inclusion, STEM Programming, Scholarships and the Fund for MSOE.
FACULTY AND STAFF CAMPAIGN — This year, 58% of MSOE faculty and staff contributed to support students, the largest percentage to date.
PRESIDENT’S GOLF OUTING — At the President’s Golf Outing, more than 140 alumni and friends gathered and raised $150,506 to support student scholarships.
GIVING DAY — On MSOE’s annual Giving Day, the MSOE community came together and raised a record-breaking amount of $705,689 from 1,330 donors.
SENIOR GIVING CAMPAIGN — 83 seniors from the Class of 2024 donated $2,605 during the Raiders Today, Raiders for Life campaign, doubling the number of senior student donors.
The Office of University Advancement total fundraising in Fiscal Year 2023–24 was $32 million.
Financial Overview of Fiscal Year 2023–24
$32,214,388
Organizations — 292, 9%
Faculty/Sta (Current and Former) — 239, 8%
TOTAL RAISED
Breakdown of individual donors
1,258 Alumni
GIFTS RAISED BY AREA
295 Parents
Academic Areas (including CREATE)
$5,115,469
Student A airs & Campus Inclusion
$558, 242
Athletics
$839,537
Grohmann Museum and WMSE
$306,760
STEM
$521,176
239 Faculty & Staff
2,722
NUMBER OF DONORS
Other Individuals — 930, 31%
930 Friends
Parents (Current and Former) — 295, 10%
292 Corp. & Foundations
Alumni — 1258, 42%
Other (including capital; non-area specific)
$24,873,20 4
SCHOLARSHIP STATS
In 2023–24, a combined total of 545 unique MSOE students received donor-funded scholarships.
$1,970,368 in Annual Scholarships from 74 different funds were awarded to 347 students from 23 states and 24 different majors.
$2,032,044 in Endowed Scholarships from 122 different funds were awarded to 263 students from 16 states and 25 different majors.
12 new annual scholarships were created.
finding your purpose while pursuing your passion. impact is ...
Cody Mott spent years searching for a new purpose in his life after serving in the United States Marine Corps. Then a friend encouraged him to apply to MSOE.
“They told me MSOE was one of the best engineering schools in the country,” said Cody. “I chose computer engineering because I have always had an interest in computers and electronics. I enjoy soldering and programming, so it was the perfect fit.”
By the time he enrolled, the Michigan native had gotten married and started a family. He also needed support to cover his education costs. That’s where the generosity of Alvin (Al) and Carol Lang made a huge difference.
In 2022, Al and Carol pledged $25,000 to establish a scholarship supporting MSOE’s veteran students. They wanted to honor the unique experiences and knowledge veteran students bring to engineering and to MSOE’s campus. A veteran himself, Al graduated from MSOE in 1965 with an associate degree in Fluid Power Engineering Technology. He served in the U.S. Air Force for 20 years.
“MSOE provided me with a valuable foundation that served me well in both my military and civilian careers,” said Al. “Carol and I are absolutely delighted to provide scholarship support to Cody and wish him the very best as he pursues his own career. His success is our satisfaction.”
Thanks to the Langs’ generosity, Cody has been able to explore his love of computing and robotics.
“My first year I built and programmed a little robot car that I controlled using micro controllers,” said Cody. “My second year the other robot car we used was controlled solely through input sensors and wiring. I am excited for my future career as a computer engineer.”
Cody is on track to graduate from MSOE in December of 2025 with a computer engineering degree but won’t be away from campus for long.
“I have been accepted into MSOE’s machine learning master’s program. My dream is to work in a robotics research lab or work for a company that produces consumer robotics.”
THIS CAREER OPPORTUNITY IS MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE GENEROSITY OF THE LANGS AND A MUTUAL ADMIRATION FOR SUPPORTING THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO SERVE OUR COUNTRY.
“This scholarship has really been a blessing for me and my family,” Cody said. “I’m grateful to the Langs for this support. With my education benefits from the VA, I’m able to get us by and keep us afloat and help my dream of being a computer engineer come true.”
creating a legacy that reaches new heights. impact is ...
Steve Behuniak ’65 enjoyed a fulfilling 50-year career at Sundstrand Corp. in Rockford, Illinois and today he’s excited about sharing that success to help generations of new Raiders soar.
Born and raised in Auburn, New York, Steve came to Milwaukee in 1962 to study electrical engineering at MSOE. “My student years were challenging, but we studied hard and had professors who were genuinely dedicated to helping us overcome the rough hurdles.” That valued student experience at MSOE had a profound impact on Steve’s life when he left campus.
His first job at Sundstrand was a system and controls engineer. Steve says from there, the rest is history. His role at the aerospace company included design and development of aircraft electric power systems before retiring as an engineering manager. Today, Sundstrand is known as Collins Aerospace, a unit of RTX Corp.
Steve has been a dedicated annual supporter of MSOE’s electrical engineering program for over 40 years and wanted to have his commitment support the program in perpetuity, so he created the “Steven and Willene Behuniak Electrical Engineering Endowed Fund” in 2020. The name also honors his late wife who passed away in March of that year.
Steve hopes increasing his support to this fund through a gift from his estate will continue to help MSOE’s electrical engineering program advance for years to come.
Steve Behuniak pictured with his late wife Willene. Willene was always in favor of his support to MSOE and recognized how his experience at the university contributed to their life together.
“The valuable lessons learned at MSOE through the electrical engineering program carried through to both my personal life and working career. It laid the foundation for all my success, and because of that I’m happy I can give that back.”
paying it forward to where it all began. impact is ...
Since graduating from MSOE with a mechanical engineering degree, Michael Cahill ’89 has been giving his time and talents to enhance the student experience for generations of Raiders. This includes generous donations as well as serving as a member of MSOE’s Industrial Advisory Council since 2014, which he finds extremely rewarding. His efforts are helping students in the engineering world thrive at the ground level and demonstrate his commitment to paying it forward.
Through his involvement, Michael noted a few gaps in the industrial engineering curriculum. He helped fill this gap by facilitating gifts of equipment through corporate philanthropy, and from an alumnus who recognized the power of utilizing your strengths and collaboration with others to make a difference.
As a result, MSOE is now fully equipped with a complete Robotics and Automation Laboratory comprising Industry 4.0 training simulators and robotic equipment to immerse students in cutting-edge advanced manufacturing techniques.
In 2018, MSOE’s industrial engineering program received a generous gift of two collaborative robots (CoBots). In 2022, Michael facilitated another donation, expanding on the opportunities created by the first. The industrial engineering program can now provide students with experiences in technological applications that are used in the industrial environment today. The Robotics and Automation Laboratory is used by students in courses such as Automation Technologies and Modern Manufacturing Processes.
“Take time to get involved,” said Michael. “The students of today and tomorrow are relying on us to help provide an environment for them to be successful.”
Michael started his career as an Application and Manufacturing Engineering Manager for Actuant Corporation (now Enerpac) until 2001 when his division was acquired by SaintGobain, a global manufacturing company.
Michael
tour of the Mechanical Engineering Department with Dr. Sudhir Kaul, department chair.
Since then, he’s held several positions until eventually becoming vice president of NorPro & Crystals.
He credits his career success to the classroom knowledge he gained at MSOE and the guidance he received from his professors and mentors. One such mentor was Dr. Robert “Bob” Kern, a professor and program director for mechanical engineering. He says his student experience helped him leave campus with an important ideology.
“The essence of the educational philosophy of MSOE is to blend theory with experiential learning. I have enjoyed a full career in manufacturing and applying design ideas by going to the shop floor and observing performance,” Michael said. “I welcome the experience to support the mission and provide insight into curriculum, trends and needs in industry. The experience is also beneficial to me, as I’m able to have direct access to talents in the university and provide topics for senior projects.”
Today, Michael is the CEO of Luxium Solutions, formerly Saint-Gobain Crystals. Since 2022 he has also been serving as a member of MSOE’s Corporate Board which has provided him a platform to help identify the university’s needs on a larger scale.
HE IS HOPEFUL THAT HIS ACTIONS THROUGH INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP AND PHILANTHROPY TO THE UNIVERSITY WILL ALSO INSPIRE OTHER ALUMNI TO GIVE BACK TO THEIR ALMA MATER.
“I believe these direct donations set an example of how we alumni must pay it forward to help those who will one day become the leaders of tomorrow.”
Cahill takes a
Industrial engineering students use the CoBots in a lab.
