Upgrades will include new equipment and improved experimental stations

Cleveland State University has received a $350,000 grant from The Lubrizol Foundation for the renovation of the Chemical Engineering Laboratory in CSU's Washkewicz College of Engineering.

The upgraded facility will be named The Lubrizol Foundation Chemical Engineering Laboratory. Plans call for a new entrance, furniture and lab equipment. The space also will feature improved experimental stations for studying the intricacies of chemical reaction kinetics.

"This is an investment in the hands-on style of higher education at Cleveland State University that the next generation of chemical engineers will need to succeed in a global economy," said J. Mark Sutherland, president of The Lubrizol Foundation.

Undergraduate enrollment in the Washkewicz College of Engineering has increased 150 percent over the past decade. In particular, enrollment in CSU's Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering has tripled in recent years.

"Chemical engineering is a growth area for Cleveland State University, and the generous support of The Lubrizol Foundation will enable us to better prepare our students to meet the demands of the 21st-century workplace," said Anette Karlsson, Ph.D., dean of the Washkewicz College of Engineering. "In this state-of-the-art laboratory, students will be able to conduct research, test theories and apply new knowledge and skills."

CSU has enjoyed a longstanding partnership with The Lubrizol Foundation and its parent company, The Lubrizol Corporation, a Wickliffe, Ohio-based global specialty chemical company serving customers in more than 100 countries. Former Lubrizol COO Stephen F. Kirk, who holds an MBA and honorary doctor of business from CSU, is immediate past chair of The CSU Foundation and an executive-in-residence at CSU's Monte Ahuja College of Business.

Over the past 25 years, Lubrizol has contributed more than $500,000 to CSU in the form of scholarships, lab equipment and employee matching gifts for a wide variety of University programs. Lubrizol's support of the College of Engineering's cooperative education program has led to the employment of more than 200 CSU graduates.

About The Lubrizol Foundation

The Lubrizol Foundation is an endowed 501(c)(3) entity and is the primary source of The Lubrizol Corporation's philanthropy in the United States. Established in 1952, The Lubrizol Foundation makes grants in support of education, health care, human services, civic, cultural, youth and environmental activities. The Foundation creates and supports partnerships that improve communities in which Lubrizol employees live and work.