CORVALLIS, Ore. -- An Oregon State University alumnus has pledged one-million dollars to help engineering students there learn how to communicate better outside of their technical work.

While engineers are often stereotyped as people who can speak better to computers and machines than they can with humans, 1941 Oregon State grad Raymond Pederson wants them to be able to communicate well with a wide range of people - from other engineers to potential investors.

Pederson studied mechanical engineering and worked at Boeing for 25 years before going on to a second career in real estate investment.

Pederson's gift will establish a program that will help create new courses, seminars and other communication resources designed specifically for engineering students.