Caterpillar, Inc., the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines and industrial gas turbines, has established a strategic partnership with the ISU College of Engineering.

ISU graduate Jim D. Waters, director of Caterpillar’s building construction division in Europe, and Loren Zachary, assistant dean of the College of Engineering, signed the agreement earlier this month.

“We’re looking at developing a proactive relationship between their company and our students,” said Tom Ligouri, director of engineering external relations. “We’ve been working on this partnership for a long time.”

Caterpillar, Inc., headquartered in Peoria, Ill., already employs about 250 ISU graduates, he said.

Jeff Hawkinson, senior communications representative at Caterpillar, said his company is excited about the partnership, citing access to future ISU graduates and increased contacts for the purposes of sharing technical information as major benefits of the partnership.

The engineering program has a number of strategic objectives for forming professional partnerships, Ligouri said. First, he said, the company must be willing to actively recruit and employ ISU graduates.

It must also offer co-op and internship programs for students and faculty, including study-abroad internship opportunities if the company has international facilities. The company and Iowa State must also develop a mutually beneficial research relationship, providing representation on the college’s Industrial Advisory Council.

Ligouri said the company must be capable of providing professional exchanges, as well as gifts of “a dollar amount, scholarships or equipment.”

“We would also like to get Caterpillar involved with our senior design projects,” he said. “Seniors tackle `real life’ challenges in engineering, where companies present a problem or challenge they face and a mentor to assist the students. They come on campus and present the problem, and the students work to develop solutions. The project culminates in an end report by the senior design team presenting their outcome and findings to the company.”

Hawkinson said Caterpillar has much to offer Iowa State.

“We are the leader in our industry, so we have multiple issues on a wide business front that generate mutual areas for cooperation. We are global in our operation, so we can offer a wide variety of domestic and international situations involving solutions to issues,” he said.

Ligouri said the engineering department is “extremely happy” to have Caterpillar as a strategic partner.

“We’re looking forward to building a working relationship with them,” he said.