Celebrating a 75-year mission to engineering - School of Engineering to honor Sikorsky's Eugene Buckley | Press Releases

The School of Engineering at Fairfield University will officially begin a year-long observance of its 75th anniversary when it honors Eugene Buckley, chairman and chief executive officer of Sikorsky Aircraft, at a reception on Monday, March 1, at 6 p.m. At the event, in the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts, Mr. Buckley will receive the School's first Lifetime Achievement Award.

Before joining Sikorsky, Mr. Buckley was corporate director of industrial engineering and production control at Rohr Industries. Previously, he held positions as director of planning at Grumman Aerospace and Republic Aviation.

A graduate of Brooklyn College with a bachelor of arts degree and a native of Brooklyn, Mr. Buckley served in the U.S. Air Force and is a member of the Wings Club. He lives in Easton with his wife Ann. They have five children.

The mission of the School of Engineering has its roots in the Bridgeport Engineering Institute, founded in 1924 by Northeastern University. Within the year Arthur E. Keating, who had been in charge of the branch, garnered the support of faculty members and several leaders of industry, to change BEI into an independent engineering school. Over the years BEI took up residence wherever it could find appropriate space in the Bridgeport-Fairfield region. The one constant over the years was the quality of instruction which offered area residents the opportunity to gain an engineering degree on a part-time basis.

Recognizing the need for a more permanent home for its mission, the School merged with Fairfield University in 1994, bringing with it engineering degree programs in computer systems and information systems as well as newly attained national accreditation for its programs in electrical and mechanical engineering.

Dr. Evangelos Hadjimichael, dean of the School of Engineering, says "Fairfield University is now proudly carrying on and expanding this mission through new undergraduate and graduate programs, and by establishing strong ties with the community of industry and business." Within the last year Fairfield has launched master degree programs in the Management of Technology and Software Engineering.

Memorabilia from BEI's history will be on display at the reception in March.

Other anniversary events planned for the year include a celebration in April sponsored by the Engineering Alumni Association and a gala dinner in November.