Jack and Jane Filanc Donate $3 Million to SDSU

Construction Engineering & Management Program

Naming Gift Honors Daughters Memory

Contact: Gina Speciale
San Diego State University
Tel: (619) 594-4563 office; (619) 813-3581 cell
speciale@mail.sdsu.edu

SAN DIEGO – (Tuesday, May 30, 2006)– Fifty years ago, Jack Filanc started his family construction business from scratch.  Now, a $3 million donation from Filanc and his wife, Jane, will help the new construction engineering and management program at San Diego State University develop a fresh crop of construction professionals.

"We are privileged to make this donation to the university, knowing it will help fulfill the region’s need for qualified engineers with construction and project management skills," said Filanc, who serves as chairman of the board of J.R. Filanc Construction.

In appreciation of the Filanc’s support, SDSU has named the program the J.R. Filanc Construction Engineering and Management program.  It will become an official bachelor’s degree program this fall.  The first seven students are already pre-enrolled in the program, and another 15 intend to join them next semester.

"On behalf of SDSU, I'd like to thank the Filanc family for their continuing support of the construction engineering and management program," said SDSU President Stephen L. Weber.  "Their generosity will enable our university to produce the highly trained professionals needed to meet the growing needs of the construction industry."

This donation not only supports a program near and dear to the Filanc family’s business interests, it also comes from the heart.

Last year, Jack and Jane’s daughter, Julia, died at the age of 50 after a battle with cancer.  The Filanc family hopes this gift will also serve to honor their daughter, an SDSU alumna.

This gift gives the new J.R. Filanc Construction Engineering and Management program the funding to offer a full core bachelor’s degree curriculum.  The program, part of SDSU’s department of civil and environmental engineering, will offer an emphasis on two different areas: the theory and practice of construction engineering, and the management of construction enterprises.  The donation will also create the bi-annual J.R. Filanc Lecture Series in Construction Engineering Ethics.

"These students will be part of a stand-out program, with a close relationship to the local construction industry," said Ken Walsh, associate professor in the department of civil and environmental engineering and Associated General Contractors-Paul S. Roel Chair in Construction Engineering and Management.

The J.R. Filanc Company, based in Oceanside, has a legacy of supporting the university and has employed SDSU engineering alumni for years.  In 2002, the hands-on abilities of SDSU’s engineering graduates impressed company president and CEO Pete Filanc so much, he spearheaded an industry fund-raising campaign to endow the construction engineering and management chair.  Last year, Pete, his brother Mark, and family patriarch Jack, each established endowed scholarships for prospective students.

The J.R. Filanc Construction Engineering and Management program and its direct connection to the construction industry will create a pipeline to help find, train, hire and retain construction engineers and keep them active in the San Diego economy.

"Down the road, I think this program will be known as one of the richest collaborations between the business side and the engineering and technical sides of the construction industry," said Walsh.

If you are interested in making a contribution to this program, please contact Chris Redo, executive director of development, at (619) 594-8082 or credo@mail.sdsu.edu.

SDSU is the oldest and largest institution of higher education in the San Diego region. Founded in 1897, SDSU offers bachelor’s degrees in 81 areas, master’s degrees in 72 and doctorates in 16. SDSU’s nearly 33,000 students participate in academic curricula distinguished by direct faculty contact and an increasingly international emphasis that prepares them for a global future. For more information, visit www.sdsu.edu.

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