Alum’s gift creates new engineering/ MBA program

 

From left, Edward Galante, his wife Cathie, and President Aoun.
Photo by Craig Bailey

 

Alumnus Edward Galante has pledged $5 million to establish the Galante Engineering and M.B.A. Program, an interdisciplinary effort to hone top students’ problem-solving and decision-making skills.

And Galante’s inspiration has already drawn support from the professional world, with a $110,000 scholarship fund created by the partners of a Seattle engineering firm.

Galante ’73 and his wife, Cathie, are creating the six-year program, which will offer students a bachelor’s of engineering and a master’s of business administration, in part to thank the university for “opening the door” to Galante’s successful 34-year career at ExxonMobil.

It began in 1972, when he arrived at Exxon as a civil engineering co-op student, and flourished over the years in a variety of assignments in retail engineering, technical services, industry product line coordination and terminal operations.

In 2001, he became corporate senior vice president of Exxon Mobil, and was responsible for worldwide refining and supply, fuels and lubricants marketing and Exxon Mobil Research.

A “true believer” in Northeastern and its importance in his career, Galante cited the co-op program as a “big plus” in his life.

“It enabled me to enter the job market with great work experience,” he said. “It gave me a bit of a head start.”

Galante hopes the new program will offer the same chance at success to budding engineers, and provide them with a grasp of the leadership skills and entrepreneurial know-how necessary to navigate in an ever-changing environment.

Support has come from the engineering consulting firm R.W. Beck in Seattle, which employs a number of Northeastern alumni. Beck’s leadership had contacted the university about supporting students in their areas of interest, engineering and business, and found an immediate and natural fit with the Galante program.

The first Beck scholarship will aid a student enrolled in the next academic year.

University officials praised Galante for his support, and for his faith in the university.

“Ed Galante’s career is a shining example of the value a Northeastern education provides,” said university President Joseph Aoun. “In the same way, his generous investment speaks not only to how passionately alumni feel about this institution, but also to the firm belief that Northeastern will continue to demonstrate leadership in the future of technology and entrepreneurship.”

Thomas Moore, dean of the College of Business Administration, said the program offers students the best of both worlds.

 “This is an exciting new program that will develop the manager of the future, the kind of manager that business is demanding,” he said. “All businesses, not only technology firms, want managers with the discipline and problem-solving ability of an engineering graduate and the business acumen and perspective of an M.B.A.”

His enthusiasm was echoed by David Luzzi, dean of the College of Engineering, who referred to Galante as a model for graduates of the program to exemplify.

"Ed knows the demands and expectations placed on engineering business leaders first-hand,” said Luzzi. “He was able to achieve remarkable success in exactly that environment."

Galante is a university overseer and member of the audit committee. In 2002, he was honored with Northeastern’s Outstanding Engineering Alumni  Award. In addition, he has served as an executive-in-residence in the College of Business Administration since the fall of 2006, lecturing and mentoring students.

He is also a board member of Praxair Inc. and Junior Achievement Worldwide, a former board member of the Council of the Americas, Council for the United States and Italy, and the U.S. Council for International Business, and a member of the 25 Year Club of the Petroleum Industry.