atest census figures confirm what engineering schools have been saying for years - a college degree in engineering launches a career that virtually guarantees a high starting salary and a secure and lucrative future.

Graduates with a four-year degree in engineering command an average of $50,000 annual starting salary, latest studies show, which is currently the highest level among college graduates.

The School of Engineering and Design at the University of Bridgeport offers students graduate and undergraduate degrees in computer science and engineering, industrial design, interior design, electrical engineering and mechanical engineering.

Recently, alumni of the Industrial Design program were able to showcase some of their work, ranging from watches to postage meters, at the First Annual Industrial Design Alumni Show in the University Gallery.

Sponsored by the Connecticut chapter of the Industrial Design Society of America, the show ran until April 30, and featured the step-by-step process that award-winning designers from UB's ID program employed to bring a new product to market. All phases of development, including initial drawings; computer simulations; plastic, foam, or wooden models; blueprints; and final products, were displayed.

Exhibitors include Peter B. Clarke, who graduated summa cum laude in 1990 with a B.S. degree from the Industrial Design program. He is the founder and president of Product Ventures, Ltd., of South Norwalk, a design and development-consulting firm with 15 employees.

Peter exhibited all phases of the development of a Cascade dish-detergent bottle, a Schick Xtreme III convenience razor, and an angioplasti radiation unit for the US Surgical Corporation.

Also displaying his award-winning products was David W. Kaiser, (B.S. '76), founder of Anderson Design of Plainville, Connecticut, where he is a designer and project manager. Three houseware products designed by David were shown - an electric hand-mixer, an electric can opener, and a rechargeable electric knife. They are part of the Ergo Line of products, named for their ergonomic improvements and designed for Applica Consumers Products, Inc.

David's display included concept sketches, product descriptions, foam models, pictures using Pro-ENGINEER software, Alias software renderings and the final products.

"The thing I remember most about the UB program is that it was challenging and very thorough. It prepared me well for the real world," said David. "As consultants, we come across some very demanding clients, and my experience at UB helped prepare me for that."

The Industrial Design program at UB started in 1949 as a night school program under the guidance of Professor Gordon Florian. In 1955, Professor Emeritus Robert Redman played a key role in establishing the current degree program. Graduates of the UB program have designed many famous household items, such as the "Dustbuster" vacuum, and UB graduates continue creating award-winning designs at GM, Chrysler, United Technologies, Lucent Technology and other companies.