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The Michigan Difference is a constant. A professor, a friend, a course, a counselor - something made attending the University of Michigan a life changing experience for generations of Wolverines.

For 21 members of the University of Michigan Human Powered Submarine (HPS) team, their Michigan Difference was the thrill of winning the 9th Biennial International Submarine Races. Held this past June in Escondido, CA, the HPS team of Michigan Engineering students was able to celebrate victory over twelve teams from around the globe. Greg Nelson (2007 NAME), the co-manager of the student team said, "Our victory was an incredible accomplishment. The HPS team represents yet another great opportunity to showcase the depth and breadth of the Michigan Engineering education."

The HPS team is one example of a student group made possible, in part, because of support from the Michigan Engineering Fund. The investments from private donors allow Engineering students, like those on the HPS team, to apply skills learned in the classroom to real-world problems, explore their interests, and learn how to work as a team to overcome challenges and create new ideas.

Your support of the Michigan Engineering Fund continues to be a catalyst for today and tomorrow's success stories. I invite you to take part in this annual challenge, just as the HPS team is moving forward with their next challenge: designing and manufacturing a submarine to set a new world speed record. You gifts make a difference - The Michigan Difference - for Engineering students and the University of Michigan community.

With sincere thanks,

Mary l. Petrovich (BSE IOE '85)
Chair, Michigan Engineering Fund

Gifts to the Michigan Engineering Fund help provide the exceptional resources, programs and facilities that are essential to the College's mission. By supporting the Fund, you strengthen the College's ability to respond to the most urgent needs and promising new opportunities throughout the school year. Your gift helps preserve the tradition of excellence that has become synonymous with Michigan Engineering.

The Michigan Engineering Fund makes a vital difference at the College. Its impact can be seen and felt in many crucial ways. Here are a few examples:

• Nearly $300,000 will be directed to undergraduate scholarship support to help attract and retain the most talented and diverse student body.
• Approximately $80,000 will be used for the implementation of outreach and pipeline programs with the UM-Flint campus and the Ypsilanti Public School system.
• Michigan Engineering student teams, like the HPS will receive $100,000 in support.
• A newly created Academic Mentoring Program will benefit from $62,000 to help match students on enrollment-withheld or probation with peer mentors who help them develop goals and essential life and academic skills.
• $200,000 will be used to upgrade laboratory equipment and safety improvements to the supersonic wind tunnel that will enhance a new design-build-test course in Aerospace Engineering.
• Twelve Engineering classrooms will feature newly replaced audio visual equipment at a cost of $100,000.
• $160,000 worth of upgraded lab equipment - including set ups for vapor-compression cycles, turbo machinery, material processing and data acquisition - will enhance the ME 395 and ME 495 design laboratory courses. These courses better prepare our students to handle large industry-sponsored senior design projects, in part, because of their early exposure to design and manufacturing techniques and collaboration experience.
• A new high frequency radio tower will be installed on the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science building for the UM Amateur Radio Club ($10,000).
• Remaining funds will be committed by the Dean during the course of the 2006-2007 academic year.