On Thursday, October 29, Nicholas Baine, PhD, was celebrated as the third-ever James R. Sebastian Endowed Chair in Engineering Cooperative Education and Educational Development.

In the role, Baine will provide vision, mentorship, and assessment to strengthen and evolve PCE’s cooperative education program to best serve the needs of students and the broader community. In his remarks at the investiture, he stated his commitment to ensuring that the co-op's educational components become more meaningful to students. 

Baine is an Associate Professor and the PCE Electrical Engineering Program Chair. He earned a B.S., M.S.E., and PhD at Wright State University, along with an MBA at GVSU. Baine joined GVSU as a faculty member in 2013. 

 James R. Sebastian and Audrey M. Sebastian were significant longtime supporters of GVSU’s Engineering program. The Sebastians created an internship program in 1969 and introduced the co-op program in 1987, and also were part of the campaigns for the Keller Engineering Laboratory and the Kennedy Hall of Engineering.  After James passed away in 1994, his family has carried on his legacy through the Sebastian Foundation, which includes the creation of the endowed chair. 

Learn more about the position and Baine's plans for the coming in years in this story from the GVSU Forum newsletter.