Wayne State University gets $407.8 million gift

Partners for the Advancement of Collaborative Engineering Education (PACE), a joint initiative of General Motors, EDS, Hewlett-Packard, Siemens UGS PLM software and Sun Microsystems, (www.eng.wayne.edu), is giving Wayne State University College of Engineering in Detroit, Mich. engineering software, equipment and tools valued commercially at $407.8 million making it the largest ever in-kind contribution received in Wayne State history.

. A PACE spokesperson said the modeling and simulation tools from PACE will enable WSU engineering students to use the same software major corporations do while working on projects ranging from automotive and highway safety systems to real-time cancer screening tools.

"Wayne State's participation in PACE strengthens the university's role in Michigan's transition to a high-tech economy," said WSU president Irvin D. Reid. "The tools we receive from PACE will enable us to prepare the skilled engineering, manufacturing and design work force needed in an increasingly competitive global marketplace. Our selection as a PACE institution greatly enhances Wayne State's ability to educate the men and women who will lead Michigan to economic prosperity."

40 other academic institutions, including the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Michigan Tech, Detroit's College for Creative Studies and Flint's Kettering University, have also received PACE donations in the past.