Dr. Thomas E. Kullgren

Dr. Thomas E. Kullgren served as the SVSU Dean of the College of Science, Engineering, and Technology from 1984-2003 and then Professor of Mechanical Engineering. He was known for his special interest in the early years of engineering studies and for his caring teaching of statics and solid mechanics.
Prior to his career at SVSU, Dr. Kullgren was a pilot in the United States Air Force and served on the faculty of the USAF Academy for 12 years. He was a Vietnam veteran with 3,700 hours of flight time in helicopters, transports, trainers, and executive jets. He retired from the Air Force in 1984 as a Lieutenant Colonel with 20 years of service to his country and was a decorated combat veteran.
Though Dr. Kullgren passed away in 2023, his dedication to students and engineering education continues through his lasting legacy at SVSU. Dr. Kullgren always acknowledged the difficulty of engineering studies, the struggle students have with work-school-family priorities and the fact that a productive graduate engineer does not need to have earned a high grade point average. Dr. Kullgren established a scholarship that recognizes students who are dedicated to pursuing an engineering career, are serious students, and who have a strong work ethic.