1 President’s Perspective Dear Florida Tech Alumni and Friends, Welcome to the commemorative 50th Look for this symbol throughout Anniversary edition of Florida Tech TODAY! the magazine to find stories and events for the Golden Anniversary. We are engaged in an exciting time in the history of the university, celebrating the completion of the first five decades of Florida Institute of Technology. In this 50th Anniversary edition, you’ll learn about key turning points in the universi- TODAY http://today.fit.edu ty’s history from Florida Tech’s resident histo- Florida Institute of Technology rians, Dr. Gordon Patterson and Dr. Robert PRESIDENT Anthony James Catanese, Ph.D., FAICP Taylor. The article provides fascinating insights into the people who SR. VICE PRESIDENT FOR ADvaNCEMENT Kenneth P. Stackpoole, Ph.D. molded the university we love today, and the important decisions Florida Tech TODAY is published three times a year by Florida Tech’s Office for Advancement and is they made. distributed to over 50,000 readers. In addition to this broad historical overview, you’ll learn more MANAGING EDITOR/DESIGNER Judi Tintera,
[email protected] about the origins and direction of each of Florida Tech’s six colleges. EDITOR Jay Wilson,
[email protected] At the heart of these stories is the untold tale of the academic devel- ASSISTANT EDITOR Karen Rhine,
[email protected] COPY EDITOR Christena Callahan,
[email protected] opment of Florida Tech. Our transformation from the “Night School CLASS NOTES REPORTER Verna Layman,
[email protected] for Missilemen” to an emerging world leader in a CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Nancy Allison, Joan Bixby, Christena Callahan, Diane Deaton, Joshua Flanagan, variety of fields is the result of hard work and wise Melinda Millsap, Karen Rhine, Ashley Smith, decisions along the way.