History of FSU Engineering program

FSU's engineering program was called the Engineering Science School. The Florida Legislature terminated FSU's program 1972.


"By COE eNews Archives
Fall 1997

Dr. Joseph Lannutti, Professor of Physics and Associate Vice President for Research, Florida State University, passed away on October 21.

Dr. Lannutti was a driving force in the founding of the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering. He strongly felt the lack of a professional school of engineering at FSU since the termination of the Engineering Science School in 1971. After the inauguration of Dr. Bernard Sliger as FSU's President in 1977, Dr. Lannutti was appointed to represent FSU on a Board of Regents task force on Science, Engineering and Technology Service to Industry. This committee recommended a study to determine the feasibility of establishing new engineering programs at FSU and FAMU, which evolved into a proposal for a joint College between FSU and FAMU, the present FAMU-FSU College of Engineering.

The College was opened in 1982 with Dr. Lannutti and Dr. Charles Kidd of FAMU as co-directors. Dr. Lannutti served in this capacity until the appointment of the first dean of the college, Dr. Elvin Dantin, in 1984.

In addition to his activities with the College of Engineering, Dr. Lannutti was Director of the FSU Supercomputer Computations Research Institute from 1984 until 1993. He joined the FSU physics department in 1957, was appointed Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs in 1984, and Associate Vice President for Research in 1993.

In Dr. Lannutti's memory, a fund has been set up to establish the Joseph Lannutti Memorial Lecture in Engineering. Anyone wishing to contribute to this fund should contact the College Development Officer, Mr. Martin Terrell, mterrell@eng.fsu.edu"