Erdman Center Celebrates Tenth Year

On November 7, 1995, the Erdman Center held its very first Industrial Advisory Board meeting, and in December, 1995, the first two graduates came out of the Center’s master’s program. Since then, the Erdman Center has produced 73 alumni. To mark those events, a 10-year anniversary board meeting and luncheon were held on October 14.

During lunch, Center Director Urban Wemmerlöv, Kress Family Wisconsin Distinguished Professor, gave the audience —consisting of board members, alumni, current students and faculty/staff —a trip down memory lane, presenting a slide show recognizing key people who helped launch and support the Center. Also illustrated was the vast array of activities Center students have engaged in over the last 10 years. Other speakers included Jennifer Romanin (alumna), Gene Berg (board member) and Dan Erdman (son of the Center’s original benefactor, Marshall Erdman, and also a major donor together with his siblings).

After lunch, about 65 people listened to the invited guest speaker, Dr. Frank Piller from MIT and TUM, who addressed the topic of “The Future of Mass Customization, Mass Production, and Customer-Driven Value Creation.” The anniversary meeting ended with a reception in Grainger Hall. That evening a reception and a dinner for the Center’s first Alumni Association meeting, attended by alumni, current students and faculty/staff and their spouses was held. The next day was a network-building event including the families of alumni and students who went bowling and had lunch together.