Blake Suhre MS’92 — passionate engineering alumnus and lifelong car enthusiast — made his way to UW–Madison through a serendipitous string of events. Raised in Edwardsville, Illinois, Blake earned his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from the General Motors Institute (now, Kettering University). Like many college students, he thought he knew where his career path would lead.
“I originally wanted to be a chassis systems engineer,” Blake says. “However, I had an influential professor for my internal combustion (IC) engines course, Serge Gratch, who was once the head of engine research at Ford. He suggested I consider IC engines as a profession. His proposed first step was graduate school, and he explained the two best options were MIT and UW–Madison. I’m glad I chose the UW.”
Bolstering Future Mechanical Engineers
Blake and his wife, Karen, an electrical engineer at John Deere, have been thoughtful in their planned giving approach. Blake’s ongoing gratitude for his education and the success that followed inspired a planned gift directed to the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Now a program director in the Office of Interdisciplinary Professional Programs, he oversees and teaches a series of continuing education courses at the College of Engineering.
“Higher education and the ability to accumulate knowledge are fundamentally important to our post–Industrial Revolution standard of living,” Blake says. “The university enriched my life in countless ways, and I want to give back. I can see no better way to protect the future.”
When contemplating the legacy they wish to leave, Blake and Karen hope their philanthropy will enable future generations of engineers to pursue their dreams. “I believe that curiosity is far more important than innate intelligence,” Blake says. “Within the history of science, it’s not necessarily the folks with the highest IQs who make the biggest discoveries or contributions. It’s those with the greatest drive to understand more and accomplish goals who change the world.”