University receives one million dollar endowment

HOUGHTON — The Dynamic Systems Laboratory in Michigan Technological University’s Department of Mechanical Engineering Mechanics, has received a $1,000,000 endowment.

The endowment from MTS Systems Corp. honors Jim and Bob Lally, founders of PCB Piezotronics, a high-technology sensor company headquartered in the Buffalo suburb of Depew, New York. The company was recently acquired by MTS Systems, a Minnesota-based supplier of test systems and industrial position sensors.

At a brief presentation recently, Jeff Graves, president and CEO of MTS, said both companies had enjoyed a long relationship with Michigan Tech. He said when MTS acquired PCB Piezotronics, the two companies wanted to make a significant contribution to higher education.

“Initially we were going to split the million dollars among several institutions, but in the end we decided to pick one, and we picked Michigan Tech,” Graves said.

He said he wants to see the relationship with Michigan Tech continue to grow.

“We respect the research carried out at Michigan Tech; we hire your graduates, and we want to hire more of your students. We want to be involved in training through internships, co-ops and other programs that will help prepare your students for their future with industrial companies like MTS.”

At the presentation, Jim Lally spoke of the merging of the two companies. “It made sense to join with MTS as our history and cultural values are very similar. Our biggest strength is manufacturing self-sufficiency.”

The MTS Jim and Bob Lally Endowment allows the Dynamic Systems Laboratory at Michigan Tech to provide financial support for graduate-student fellowships, for travel to conferences to present technical papers and for the purchase of special lab equipment when other funding is not available.Tech’s Dynamic Systems Laboratory conducts research and produces graduate students in the area of acoustics, vibration, NVH (noise, vibration and harshness), structural dynamics, noise control and signal processing.