Hugh K. Schilling and his company, Horton Worldwide, have made a generous gift to endow the Hugh K. Schilling Machining and Manufacturing Lab at the St. Thomas School of Engineering. This gift makes it possible to expand lab space, support faculty and replace equipment in the years ahead.
Across the nation, the vast majority of mechanical engineering students graduate with little or no experience using basic tools and equipment. St. Thomas maintains that practical experiences and hands-on skills are critically important to the development of a skilled engineer. They complement the analytical skills delivered in the classroom and give an engineer insight into how a product is made.
"The Hugh K. Schilling Laboratory will be a critical component as we educate engineers with practical, hands-on skills that are essential to their careers," said Don Weinkauf, dean of the School of Engineering. "The St. Thomas engineering curriculum is committed to providing students with extensive lab offerings and machining requirements. The Hugh K. Schilling Laboratory will ensure that we can continue this practice with the right tools, with experienced support personnel and at the rate of growth of the St. Thomas School of Engineering."
St. Thomas is extremely grateful to Hugh K. Schilling and to Horton for their long-standing partnership and support of the School of Engineering, including: the Science and Engineering Center; the Student Excellence Fund; the Engineering Minnesota's Future Initiative; and the Board of Directors Endowed Scholarship Fund.