As the University of Miami nears its centennial celebration in 2025, one of its schools is commemorating another important milestone this year. The College of Engineering, founded in 1947, recently marked its 75th anniversary.
To celebrate this achievement, Edward Dauer, B.S.E.E. ’72, M.D. ’75, M.S.B.E. ’01—a professor at the college, and a Board of Trustees member—has written and published a book detailing the college’s history, successes, current state, and future plans. “Transforming Lives, Building Leaders, Transmitting Knowledge” tells the story of how the college has grown and developed over the years.
Dr. Dauer and his wife Joanne Dauer, an alumna of the School of Nursing and Health Studies, have been dedicated supporters of the U for decades. The University’s engineering program, libraries, nursing program, medical school, and athletics department have all benefitted from their philanthropy. This new book is the latest of the family’s contributions to the U.
Having been at the college for 55 years, Dr. Dauer volunteered to write the book because of his extensive knowledge of the college and its history. Drawing from his own records, as well as archives from the University’s Richter Library, the process of researching and writing the book took about 14 months to complete. Ultimately, the result was a 17-chapter, 360-page chronicle dedicated to the college’s history. Dauer’s goal in writing the book was to showcase outstanding graduates, establish a definitive history of the college, and promote its achievements.
As detailed in the book, the school first started out as an engineering science program as part of the College of Liberal Arts during the 1944-45 academic year. Impressed by its success, the Board of Trustees voted to establish the program as its own college, and thus the College of Engineering was created in 1947. Over the next decade, through the efforts of generous donors like J. Neville McArthur, expansions were introduced in the form of new buildings and equipment.
Readers can learn about notable alumni, such as Erisa Hines Stilley, B.S.M.E. ’02, who went on to work at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, and was involved with multiple Mars rover projects. The book also previews the college’s upcoming plans regarding new degree programs and learning modalities, offering a look into the near future and beyond.
In addition to history, Dr. Dauer explores the importance of mentorship and asserts that it was not only an important part of his and other students’ time in the college but can also be a tool to transform anyone’s life.
The book may be purchased by contacting Dr. Dauer by phone at 954-739-0978, or through email at dauer.edward@gmail.com. Priced at $70, all of the book’s proceeds above the cost of production will be donated by Dr. Dauer to the Dr. Murray I. Mantell Scholarship Fund and the Professor Jackson Sells Teaching and Research Fund to benefit the college’s students.
