SEAVER | Loyola Marymount University’s engineering design center has undergone a substantial upgrade and will be renamed to honor an alumnus of the Frank R. Seaver College of Science and Engineering. The Cheryl and Robert Gross Engineering Design Center, donated by Cheryl Gross and named for her late husband, Robert “Bob” Gross ’77, who earned his B.S. in mechanical engineering, will be dedicated by President Timothy Law Snyder, Ph.D., and Dean Tina Choe. The event, which takes place at 3 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 2, is open to students, faculty and alumni.
“This is a very significant upgrade and will provide a space for all LMU engineering students to collaborate on various challenging and innovative design projects,” said Matt Siniawski, professor of mechanical engineering.
Robert Gross co-owned Gas Transmission Systems, and his career was in gas pipeline engineering, including more than 27 years at Pacific Gas and Electric Company. He was a former chair of the American Gas Association’s Best Practices/Benchmarking Program, and he developed and implemented a cross-utility emergency response plan and training program as the gas engineer for the California Utility Emergency Association, a part of the California Office of Emergency Services.
“This upgrade positions our engineering programs to be at the center of technological innovation.”
All engineering students use the Engineering Design Center to construct projects. Some notable examples of recent LMU student projects include:
- Mechanical engineering students created assistive devices for students with varying disabilities at nearby WISH Charter School.
- The LMU Rocket Club, with its mentor, Dan Larson, a lead propulsion engineer at SpaceX, used the facility for rocket development.
- Electrical Engineering students used the EDC for senior capstone projects such as building an electric car and a smart house, and developing a glucose meter.
“This upgrade positions our engineering programs to be at the center of technological innovation,” Siniawski said.
