FLORIDA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

'Florida Institute of Technology' is an independent technical college located in Melbourne, Florida (Brevard County), United States. It was founded by Jerome P. Keuper on September 22, 1958 as Brevard Engineering College, absorbing the University of Melbourne, and changing its name to Florida Institute of Technology in 1966. In the early 1990s Florida Institute of Technology changed its promotional identity from FIT to 'Florida Tech', to avoid confusion with the Fashion Institute of Technology at the State University of New York. This name change created some confusion in the Orlando, Florida area with the existing Florida Technical College and Florida Technological University, the former name of the University of Central Florida.
Florida Tech curriculum is focused on engineering fields, and employs around 800 people at its main campus in Brevard County. It attracts over 3,000 full and part-time residents to Melbourne each year. It has been a partner in the community's economic growth and in the growth of high-tech industry on the Space Coast for the past 45 years. Florida Tech growth continues with increasing enrollment numbers, and multiple off-campus locations.

History

In the beginning, classes were held in leased classrooms at Eau Gallie Junior High School (now Westshore Junior/Senior High School at 250 West Brevard Avenue) and at University of Melbourne's lone building on Country Club Boulevard. Classes were moved from Eau Gallie Junior High School to Melbourne Methodist Church on Waverly St. in 1959 after the school district disapproved of two black students using the junior high school classrooms.
In 1961, Brevard Engineering College purchased the property of the University of Melbourne (Florida)^[1] which became the main campus in the heart of Melbourne, Florida. The only existing building at the time was the current Ray A. Work building. The next building to be built was the Keuper building, originally used as a library. Today it houses the Admissions, Financial Aid and Student Employment departments. In the 1960s and 1970s many buildings were constructed on the main campus.
Since 1996 the university has been in the midst of much construction and expansion. Following a $50 million grant given to them by the F. W. Olin Foundation, Florida Tech has constructed three new facilities for their engineering, life science, and physical science departments.

Jensen Beach Campus

In 1968, the Hydrospace Technical Institute (HTI) was chartered in a donated building in Cocoa Beach. In 1972, the campus of St. Joseph College of Florida located on the Indian River in Jensen Beach, Florida was purchased with the support of Ralph Evinrude, owner of Outboard Marine Corporation and husband of Frances Langford. The HTI was moved to Jensen Beach, and became the School of Marine and Environmental Technology(SOMET). The Jensen Beach campus closed in 1986 and SOMET was transferred to the main campus to become the Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences(DMES). An MBA program had been started on the campus and it was continued for a time in rented quarters on East Ocean Boulevard in Sewall's Point. The campus in Jensen Beach was subsequently sold. The dormitories and cafeteria located on the hill west of N.E. Sewall's Point Road were torn down and replaced by an assisted living facility. The rest of the campus lying east of Sewall's Point road is now owned by the Martin County government and is now the Martin County Indian Riverside Park. The old chapel building is being converted into the Children's Museum of Martin County while the former administration building (once a home called "Tuckahoe") located on Mount Elizabeth, which is actually Indian Midden is being restored by the Friends of Tuckahoe The library and classroom buildings and the old metal building were all demolished.

Geographic history

The northern part of Florida Tech's main campus contains some rich history. The headwaters of Crane Creek are located here, and the creek begins in the Botanical Gardens southeast of Columbia Village Suites. These Botanical Gardens, colloquially referred to as 'The Jungle', occupy much of the northeastern part of the main campus and are home to a wide variety of local species, with transient visits from alligators and manatees. Crisscrossed by several trails (the main one is named for Dent Smith), they contain a collection of many varieties of palm trees and other flora. Numerous bridges on campus provide crossings over two of the three streams that feed Crane Creek. The third stream comes south from the Roberts Hall and Columbia Village Suites area to the north. This area around Crane Creek was known as Cathead in the early 1900s after numerous panthers that lived in this area.
Melbourne's first (one-room) wooden school house is here, at the end of the Dent Smith Trail, northwest of the Evans Library.
The railroad of the Union Cypress Company traveled from east to west here just south of the Crawford Science Tower. It carried lumber from cypress swamps to the west, to the former mill town of Hopkins, just south of Crane Creek and U.S. 1.

Academics

Florida Tech enrolls approximately 2,300 undergraduates and 2,300 graduate students. The university offers degrees in a wide variety of science and engineering disciplines, and is one of the few universities to offer an aviation degree. Florida Institute of Technology is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). The Engineering programs are also accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). The Computer Science program is accredited by the Computer Science Accreditation Commission of the Computing Sciences Accreditation Board. Its chemistry program is accredited by the Committee on Professional Training of the American Chemical Society. Aeronautical Science and Aviation Management programs are accredited by the Council on Aviation Accreditation. The university is divided into six colleges.

College of Engineering

The College of Engineering includes seven departments: chemical engineering, civil engineering, computer sciences, electrical/computer engineering, engineering systems, mechanical/aerospace engineering, and marine/environmental systems. Programs offered in addition to those included in the department names are biological oceanography, chemical oceanography, coastal zone management, computer information systems, engineering management, environmental resource management, environmental science, geological oceanography, marine environmental science, meteorology, ocean engineering, physical oceanography, software engineering, and systems engineering.

College of Science

The College of Science composed of six departments: biological sciences, chemistry, mathematical sciences, physics/space sciences, science/mathematics education, and humanities/communication. Programs offered in addition to those included in the department names are biochemistry, interdisciplinary science, and military science. Graduate programs are offered in applied mathematics, biological sciences, chemistry, computer education, environmental education, mathematics education, operations research, physics, technical and professional communication, science education, space sciences, and teaching. Advanced degrees include the Specialist in Education, and doctoral degrees in applied mathematics, biological sciences, chemistry, mathematics education, operations research, physics, science education, and space sciences.

College of Aeronautics

The College of Aeronautics offers bachelor’s degrees in aeronautical science, aviation management, aviation meteorology (with flight options available in each program) and aviation computer science. It offers master’s degrees in airport development and management, applied aviation safety and aviation human factors.

College of Business

The College of Business offers both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration, and bachelor’s degrees in accounting, business and environmental studies, and management information systems. An accounting track in the M.B.A. program is offered for individuals who have completed a four-year degree in accounting and require additional credits to be able to qualify for the CPA exam in Florida, or to receive reciprocal licensure in Florida from another state. grams and make significant contributions to project results. 'Florida Tech' houses a number of research institutes and centers that, in collaboration with academic departments, aid in the students’ training. These institutes and centers are described more fully in the Research: Institutes, Centers and Major Laboratories section of this catalog.

College of Psychology and Liberal Arts

The School of Psychology offers bachelor’s degrees in psychology and forensic psychology, master’s degrees in applied behavior analysis and industrial/organizational psychology, and doctoral degrees in clinical psychology and industrial/organizational psychology.

University College

The School of Extended Graduate Studies began in August 1972 as “Off-Campus Programs,” when 42 students enrolled in a master’s degree program in Electrical Engineering at the Naval Air Test Center, Patuxent River, Maryland. Today master’s degree programs are offered at 10 graduate centers in five states. Curricula and course content are tailored to meet the needs of the students and their employers, while maintaining the highest possible academic quality and integrity. Class times and locations are selected for the convenience of the students. Since 1972, nearly 15,000 Florida Tech master’s degrees have been conferred on off-campus candidates.

Academic ranking

Florida Institute of Technology is ranked as a third-tier national university in the US News & World Report's 2007 college ranking guide.^[2]

Research and development

Florida Tech is attempting to establish a tsunami warning system for the Caribbean
and Gulf of Mexico. So far, none exists nor is one funded.
Florida Tech performs research in the field of photo-voltaic powered automobiles and robotics.
Faculty and students in the Physics/Space Science department conduct research in High Energy Physics (experimental particle physics).

Events

In early 2005, Florida Tech held a symposium attracting 85 engineers
and contractors to hear from experts in the fields of disaster reconstruction, planning, contracting and mitigation. The timing was to prepare professional to cope with the 2005 hurricane season.
Florida Tech sponsored its First French Film Festival in 2006.
Florida Tech has been sponsoring and hosting a "Business Ethics Competition" since 1996 for Brevard County high schools.^[3]

Housing

Main articles: Florida Institute of Technology housing

Campus housing is divided among seven residence halls and one apartment complex and one village suite. There are seven residences in the apartment complex north of Crane Creek. It is common to refer to the Southgate complex as "off campus," because it is separated from the rest of the campus by Babcock Street. Six of the residence halls are located on or near the "Residence Quad."

Buildings on campus

★ Grissom Hall - Contains classrooms and some faculty offices, especially humanities professors.

★ Homer Denius Student Union Building (SUB)- a café, bookstore, mailroom, the student Activities office, offices for several clubs, and a meeting room.

★ Shepard Hall - Classrooms used for math, science, and English, houses the department of science/mathematics education.

★ Link "Engineering" Building - Department of Marine and Environmental Systems and the Florida Tech Hydrogen Center.

★ Skurla Hall - School of Aeronautics.

★ Crawford "Science" Tower -Humanities and Math department offices.

★ Gleason Performing Arts Center [1] - for plays[2], WFIT concerts and special performances on campus.

★ Charles and Ruth Clemente Center for Sports and Recreation - contains a dining facility, two large gymnasiums, and a racquetball court.

★ F.W. Olin Engineering Complex - Engineering Departments of Mechanical/Aerospace, Electrical/Computer, Civil and Chemical; and the Computer Sciences Department.

★ F.W. Olin Life Sciences Building - Biological Sciences programs.

★ F.W. Olin Physical Sciences Building - Chemistry Department and the Physics/Space Sciences Department. One notable feature is a large telescope dome on the roof of the building that houses a 32" telescope (the largest optical telescope in the state of Florida).

Sports

The sports program at the university emphasized the school's NCAA Division II baseball team. Other sports include basketball, crew, and soccer. Florida Tech is a member of the Sunshine State Conference.
The ice hockey team has a rivalry with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University from Daytona Beach, Florida. The Florida Tech ice hockey program is a member of the American Collegiate Hockey Association, playing at that organization's Division 3 level.
Florida Tech's Daniela Iacobelli won the National NCAA Division II Woman's Golf Championship in 2007.^[4]

Media

The Crimson is a weekly newspaper.
Radio station WCRR is student run, transmitting online at http://wcrr.fit.edu/ and WFIT 89.5 HD2.

Student organizations

Student organizations must be registered with the Student Activities in the Office of Student Life, headed by Kasey Drennen, Assistant Dean of Student Activities. Fraternities and Sororities are mainly headed by Sara Mayer, Assistant Dean of Student Activities (Fraternities/Sororities Affairs). Florida Institute of Technology currently has 104 active student organizations on campus: ^[5]

★ African Students Union(A.S.U) ★ Alpha Phi ★ Alpha Phi Omega ★ Alpha Tau Omega ★ Amateur Radio Club ★ American Chemical Society Student Affiliates ★ American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics ★ American Institute of Chemical Engineers ★ American Meteorological Society ★ American Society of Civil Engineers ★ American Society of Mechanical Engineers ★ Anime Club ★ Aquaculture Society ★ Association for Computing Machinery ★ Belletrist ★ Best Buddies ★ Blue Wave Flag Football CLub ★ Campus Activities Board ★ Caribbean Student Association ★ Chi Phi Fraternity ★ Chinese Students and Scholars Association ★ Class Council ★ College Players ★ College Republicans ★ Collegiate Aviation Business Executives ★ Collegiate Entrepreneur's Organization ★ Cycling ★ Dance Association ★ Dance Dance Revolution Coalition ★ EDEP Project ★ Eta Kappa Nu ★ Falcons Precision Flight Team ★ Film Society ★ FIT Fencing ★ FITV ★ Florida Public Relations Association ★ Future Educators of America ★ Gamma Phi Beta Sorority ★ Global Justice ★ Golden Q Crew ★ Green Campus Group ★ Homecoming ★ Ice Hockey Team ★ IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) ★ InterFraternity Council ★ International Student Service Organization ★ ISA-Sanskriti ★ IVCF, IV, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship ★ Lambda Chi Alpha Lambda Chi Alpha - Beta Nu Zeta ★ Lambda Pi Eta - Upsilon Xi ★ Martial arts Association	★ Motorcycle Club ★ MTS-SNAME ★ Muslim Student Association ★ National Society of Black Engineers Florida Institute of Technology chapter ★ Newman Club ★ Ninja Force at Florida Tech ★ Order of Omega ★ Paintball Club ★ Panhellenic Council ★ Panther Disc Golf Club ★ Panther Judo Club ★ Panther Pep Band ★ Phi Beta Delta ★ Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society ★ Phi Sigma Sigma ★ Pi Kappa Alpha ★ Pi Lambda Phi ★ Pi Tau Sigma ★ Pre-Med Club ★ Psi Chi - Florida Tech Chapter ★ Relay for Life ★ Rho Lambda ★ Sailing Club at Florida Tech ★ Saudi Student Association ★ Saudi Student House ★ Semper Fi Society ★ Skydiving Club ★ Soccer Club at Florida Tech ★ Society for Performance Management ★ Society for Science Fiction and Fantasy ★ Society for the Advancement of Management ★ Society of Physics Students ★ Society of Women Engineers ★ Spanish Club ★ Sports Car Club ★ SQUAMISH ★ Steely Eyed Rocketeers of Florida Tech ★ Student Ambassadors ★ Student Astronomical Society ★ Student Government Association ★ Students for the Exploration and Development of Space ★ Table Tennis Team ★ Students for a Secular Society ★ Taiwanese Student Association ★ Tau Beta Pi ★ Tau Kappa Epsilon-Omicron Nu Chapter ★ The Crimson ★ The Residence Hall Association at Florida Institute of Technology[3] ★ Tri-Beta ★ Ultimate Frisbee Club ★ Undergraduate Psychology Student Association ★ WCRR Student-Run Radio http://wcrr.fit.edu/ 89.5HD2 ★ Women in Aviation International

Notable graduates

★ Jere H. Akin, MG (Major General) USA, (Ret), Class of 1974.^[6]Commanded Army's Pentagon Logistics Operations during Operation Desert Shield/Storm (1990-91)^[7]

★ James Ball, MG USA, (Ret), Class of 1974.

★ James E. Bickford, BG (Brigadier General) USA, (Ret), Class of 1974, Kentucky Secretary of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection.

★ William L. Bond, MG USA, (Ret), Class of 1979.Director, Force Development, US Army

★ Edward M. Browne, MG USA (Ret), Class of 1974

★ Douglas D. Buchholtz, LTG USA, Class of 1974. Director for Command, Control, Communications, and Computer Systems Joint (DOD) Staff

★ Charles C. Cannon, MG USA (Ret), Class of 1976

★ Charles F. Drenz, MG USA (Ret), Class of 1973

★ Otto J. Guenther, LTG (Lieutenant General) USA (Ret), Class of 1973. Director of Information Systems for Command, Control, Communications, and Computers for the United States Army

★ Joan Higginbotham, American engineer, astronaut, M.S. Management Science, 1992, M.S. Space Systems, 1996

★ Ronald V. Hite, LTG USA, (Ret), Class of 1974

★ Dennis K. Jackson, BG USA, Class of 1980

★ Harry G. Karegeannes, MG USA (Ret), Class of 1973

★ Aaron L. Lilley, MG USA, (Ret), Class of 1974

★ Michael J. Pepe, BG USA, (Ret), Class of 1973

★ Hubert G. Smith, LTG USA (Ret), Class of 1975

★ Julian A. (Al) Sullivan, Jr., MG USA (Ret), Class of 1980

★ Sunita Williams, astronaut, M.S., Engineering Management,1995

Notable attendees

★ Tim Wakefield, drafted by professional baseball in his junior year.

References

1. not to be confused with the University that bears the same name in Australia
2. http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/directory/brief/drglance_1469_brief.php
3. SHS students win ethics competition, ''The Beaches Hometown News'', March 23, 2007, page 1
4. Iacobelli's eagles land NCAA title, Parsons, Mike, , , Florida Today, May 13, 2007,
5. http://fit.edu/activities/sa/org_public.php
6. http://www.fit.edu/alumni/newsletter/hamp_wilson.htm
7. http://www.qmfound.com/MG_Jere_Akin.htm

★ Countdown to College: Launching Florida Institute of Technology by Gordon Patterson Florida Historical Quarterly - Volume 77, Issue 2, Fall 1998

★ Space University: Lift-Off of Florida Institute of Technology Florida Historical Quarterly - Volume 79, Issue 1, Summer 2000.

★ FloridaHistory.net - September "Today in Florida History" - Florida Historical Society

External links

This article provided by Wikipedia. To edit the contents of this article, click here for original source.

psst.. try this: add to faves

	Bora Bora Lagoon Resort & Spa
	Destination Greece
	JRD Travel Company
	Golf Holidays International
	MarysTravelSpot
	Grenada Board of Tourism
	Hotel Villa St Pierre
	Travelonly - Dave Corless
	Heavenly Paradise Getaways
	Dancing Moon Travel

FLORIDA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

History

Jensen Beach Campus

Geographic history

Academics

College of Engineering

College of Science

College of Aeronautics

College of Business

College of Psychology and Liberal Arts

University College

Academic ranking

Research and development

Events

Housing

Buildings on campus

Sports

Media

Student organizations

Notable graduates

Notable attendees

See also

References

External links

University Related Links

Departmental links

Student organizations/student activities

Athletics

Academic projects

Other

Photo Galleries »

Customer Service

Most Popular

Useful

Find