Notre Dame Named Pratt & Whitney's Latest University Center of Excellence

Pratt & Whitney has signed a Center of Excellence agreement with the University of Notre Dame, in which the South Bend, Indiana, institution will work on fundamental and applied research initiatives that support the design and development of more efficient gas-turbine aircraft engines. Notre Dame joins seven prestigious universities that have received Pratt & Whitney's esteemed Center of Excellence distinction.

"We are very excited about the addition of Notre Dame as one of our University Centers of Excellence," said Chris Kmetz, vice president and chief engineer, Systems Design and Component Integration, Pratt & Whitney. "We are committed to differentiating our products through investment in fundamental research and development of new technologies. Notre Dame has outstanding technical capabilities that complement our research needs. This relationship also allows us to bring our expertise to the next generation of engineers in a way that complements their traditional studies."

Kmetz, a 1991 Notre Dame graduate, also will serve as Pratt & Whitney's executive champion for the Notre Dame Center of Excellence program.