Roy Armes and his wife, Marcia, have given $1 million to the University of Toledo to support a leadership program for engineering students.
The donation will go toward UT’s Engineering Leadership Institute. Armes, a 1975 engineering graduate of UT, is the president, chairman and chief executive officer of Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. in Findlay.
“When I look back at it, my education at UT played a significant role in what I’ve been able to accomplish over the last 35 to 40 years,” Armes said. “It’s really been the foundation to my career development.”
The Engineering Leadership Institute – which is to be renamed after Armes and his wife – takes on 12 to 15 second-year engineering students each year. The couple helped found the institute with a $50,000 gift in 2009.
Nagi Naganathan, dean of the college of engineering at UT, said the idea is to identify students with leadership potential and help draw out those skills.
Students in the program are also given the opportunity to participate in Global Grand Challenge events around the U.S. and internationally. They also take on an individual senior project.
In addition to their gifts to the Engineering Learning Institute, the Armes have given $500,000 to create the Marcia and Roy Armes Rocket Academic Center on UT’s campus.
