Mississippi State’s James Worth Bagley College of Engineering has long put a premium on practical education. In its Hall School of Mechanical Engineering, that hands-on learning gets a boost from the Innovation, Design and Engineering Education Laboratory, known as the IDEELab.
A hub for workforce development, cutting-edge research and collaborative industry partnerships, IDEELab helps ensure that MSU mechanical engineering graduates don’t just understand what they’re learning—they can put it into action.
To help ensure the future of this world-class education and outreach tool, 1961 aerospace engineering alumnus Bill Fondren Jr. has pledged financial support to IDEELab. Specifically, his gift will enhance the recruitment and retention of graduate students and aid in the growth of the opportunities and tools available through the lab.
“I wanted to give back to Mississippi State what my experience there gave to me 60 years ago,” Fondren said. “It thrust me onto the launchpad to go into the business world, into the real world, and live the life I have.”
Fondren said his gift benefits mechanical engineering, rather than his undergraduate major because he wanted “the money to go toward Mississippi State’s objectives and not mine.”
David Ford, dean of the Bagley College of Engineering, praised not only Fondren’s generosity but also his intention of doing what’s in the best interest of the university.
“Mr. Fondren called and asked me what I thought the most important initiatives in the Bagley College of Engineering were, and I pointed to the IDEELab and to attracting the most attractive echelon of graduate students, and he said that was what he wanted to support,” Ford said.
Fondren explained, “I wanted to get what’s in motion now to a higher level. I’m very glad to be able to help and give something back.”
A native of Cleveland, Fondren earned a master’s in industrial management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1963. He served in the Army, working for the space program during the worldwide technological race to the moon. Following his time in the military, he worked for a number of companies before landing at Orgill Inc. There he rose through the ranks to ultimately be appointed president and CEO in 1981. He held that position for 24 years.
Ross Smith, director, guides senior mechanical engineering majors Collin Mullins of Kilmichael and Benjamin Gregory of Horn Lake in MSU’s Innovation, Design and Engineering Education Laboratory, known as IDEELab.
Under his leadership, Orgill expanded from being a regional distributor in the Midsouth to becoming a global entity serving retail customers in all 50 states, Canada and more than 60 countries worldwide. Fondren retired as chairman of the board at the end of 2012 after serving in that capacity since January 2005.
Since that time, Fondren put a lot of thought into what kind of legacy he would like to leave, ultimately deciding his largest impact could come through supporting Mississippi State.
“I waited as long as I did to make the gift to Mississippi State because I wanted to reflect over the years and see what really did make a difference in my life,” Fondren said. “Family is No. 1 but when I looked to external factors and went back to something large enough to make a difference, I arrived at Mississippi State.”
Fondren said he was able to see a bit of his MSU experience in the ideas behind the IDEELab.
“When I arrived on campus at Mississippi State, I was there with people just like me, getting ready to go into the world to do what’s necessary to make a living, starting by getting an education,” Fondren recalled. “Mississippi State fit right into that, providing an education both inside and outside the classroom.”
Now, Fondren’s gift will ensure future generations get a similar experience through the IDEELab. Time in the lab is a requirement for those earning a mechanical engineering degree at MSU, but students—once they are certified in safety and operation—are encouraged to use the advanced machinery and tools to pursue their own projects or to earn industry-specific certifications.
The certifications students are encouraged to earn increase in complexity and difficulty, ultimately arriving at or surpassing the most technically demanding tasks modern automated industry can provide. Training for these certifications is provided without fee to engineers already employed in industries where such certifications are needed or need to be renewed, and the machines, their maintenance and any consumable material necessary for their operation are funded by endowments.
The lab’s equipment includes hundreds of pieces of industry-grade precision manufacturing tools, including computer numerical control—or CNC—cutting, milling and casting gear, 3D printers that use many different types of media, and much more.
“This is not hobby-grade or tabletop gear,” said Ross Smith, director of the IDEELab. “We have millions of dollars of high-end equipment; real-world, industry-grade equipment at the students’ disposal. This is equipment students would encounter on the manufacturing floor of any large industry in the world.”
The IDEELab gives students hands-on experience that bridges classroom learning and real-world application. Through the lab, students have access to professional-grade tools and work side-by-side with faculty to complete personal, academic and industry-partner projects
Haitham El Kadiri, director and PACCAR Chair of the Hall School of Mechanical Engineering, explained that IDEELab has long served as a pathway for connecting the university and industry, providing space and opportunity for students to address real-world problems in a hands-on way.
“In this educational model, we bring industries onto the university campus where we work together with students and our people to showcase solutions for pressing engineering problems,” Kadiri said. “IDEELab is a huge investment where students solve problems and engage with engineering faculty, and the makerspace is an integral part of the model.”
The IDEELab is located on the first floor of Patterson Engineering Building, but a planned expansion will take it onto the second floor as well. The lab impacts approximately 1,200 students per year through required classroom engagement, plus another 500 students who use the lab through co-curriculars.
Ford said having the IDEELab at hand has allowed for partnerships with industries who bring their problems to the university. Businesses including Taylor Machine Works, Aurora Flight Sciences and Milwaukee Tools have relationships with the university’s engineers allowing for externships–students employed by industries but working in the IDEELab on campus rather than on location with the industry itself.
“Every mechanical engineering student is touched by this interaction with industry, bringing the experience to students in other disciplines who may have missed it, and bringing more of it to those who’ve already experienced it otherwise,” Ford said. “The IDEELab is one of the top ideas in the country in engineering education because it’s proven to be really effective.”
Fondren said he is proud to know his support will help continue the world-renowned work of Mississippi State University, the Bagley College of Engineering and the Hall School of Mechanical Engineering.
Sixty years after Mississippi State set him on his path, Bill Fondren has returned to invest in the same foundation that launched his success. His gift will ensure generations of engineers will continue to build, create, and innovate to launch their own paths.
By Kevin Tate, Photos by Emily Grace McCall
