Peter and Evelyn Fuss endow ECE chair

Peter and Evelyn Fuss created a Michigan ECE legacy when they endowed the Peter and Evelyn Fuss Chair of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Believing in the power of creativity and quick action, the Fusses wanted to give the department maximum flexibility to respond to new initiatives and special needs wherever and whenever they arose. They are especially interested in expanding student diversity.

“I believe very strongly in the role that a university can play in life, and I’m delighted that Michigan Engineering has taken such a strong role in diversity,” says Peter. “You just can’t leave people behind, whether it’s minorities or financially disadvantaged students. This is still a country of hope.”

Peter Fuss (BSE EE 1956) is the former President of Tellabs International, Inc., which he established in 1987 as a subsidiary of Tellabs, Inc. Tellabs International is responsible for all Tellabs operations outside of North America. Tellabs, Inc. is a leading international manufacturer of voice and data communication equipment. [Read more about Peter Fuss]

Evelyn Fuss is a graduate of Mount Holyoke College. Evelyn and Peter met while attending a local postgraduate young people’s group in NJ. Evelyn worked at the company between 1960-1963, doing subjective testing of dial tones.

“On behalf of the students and the entire Electrical and Computer Engineering community, I would like to convey my deepest gratitude for this gift,” said Khalil Najafi. “I am proud to be the first to bear the name of the Peter and Evelyn Fuss Chair of Electrical and Computer Engineering.”

This gift is Peter and Evelyn’s latest in an active relationship with Peter’s alma mater. Peter and Evelyn provided a leadership gift for the construction of the Peter S. Fuss Pavilion on North Campus, and they endowed the Peter S. Fuss Professorship of Engineering (previously held by Duncan Steel).

Peter served on the EECS National Advisory Committee, and was a member of the Engineering Alumni Society Board of Governors. He served as chair of the Michigan Engineering Fund in 2000, and was a member of the 150th Anniversary Campaign Committee from 2000–2008. He received the 1995 Alumni Society Merit Award for EECS, and the College of Engineering Alumni Society Medal in 2011.