4/24/2014 Bill Bowman
Written by Bill Bowman
An investiture for Professor Placid Ferreira was held Tuesday, April 15, making the MechSE department head the first Tungchao Julia Lu Professor of Mechanical Science and Engineering.
"Professor Ferreira has been a constant and leading light as the world of manufacturing and technology has grown even smaller and ever faster," Provost Illesanmi Adesida said.
This honor was made possible by MechSE alumnus Sidney Lu (BSME ’81), who named the professorship for his mother, Tungchao Julia. She was instrumental in the education of her three sons, who all came from Taiwan to attend the University of Illinois.
"Mrs. Lu came here and she made sure she was here in Urbana-Champaign while her sons were in school, and I think that had a significant impact on their careers," said Andreas Cangellaris, the Dean of the College of Engineering. "The University of Illinois is a great family—and our graduates, our professors, our students are part of our family, and that’s what we’re celebrating today thanks to Sidney Lu."
Mr. Lu, the chairman and CEO of Foxconn Interconnect Technology, was on campus for the investiture. In addition to the ceremony held in the Beckman Institute auditorium, he was able to see a new plaque for this professorship unveiled in the Mechanical Engineering Building. He also toured much of the College of Engineering campus and the Research Park, attending meetings and seeing the latest research in many areas of manufacturing.
"The U of I is such a great place," Lu said. "It’s the place that gave us a great education and really gave us the confidence to go out and conquer the world. And there’s nothing more fitting for me, coming from one of the largest manufacturers in the world, to give this first professorship to a very distinguished scholar whose expertise is in advanced manufacturing."
Ferreira and many other members of the MechSE Department and the College of Engineering expressed their gratitude to Lu throughout the visit.
"It is a great honor to be named the first Tungchao Julia Lu Professor of Mechanical Science and Engineering," Ferreira said. "I promise that I will hold very high standards for this professorship.
"Today’s ceremony is really emblematic of the kind of international global impact that Illinois has through its ability to assemble talent at Urbana-Champaign and disseminate that talent across the whole world. Sidney is a shining example of this."