Central Virginia Community College
CVCC and UVA Receive Collaborative NSF Grants for Technology Leaders Program
Lynchburg, VA /Media Release/9/15/08 -- Central Virginia Community College and the University of Virginia have received collaborative National Science Foundation grants totaling $500,000 for their innovative Technology Leaders Program. This effort will prepare engineering students for the competitive demands of the 21st century by emphasizing design adaptable systems, an approach to engineering that will become increasingly important in the global community. A hands-on learning lab is a core element of the program, and Region 2000s Center for Advanced Engineering (CAER) will provide an additional $130,000 to fund the equipment for this project.
The Multiscale Agile Systems Technology (MAST) Lab will be an area-wide lab that will link UVA, CVCC, and participating industry, and has the long-range goal of further expanding the lab to include other universities and to transport the Technology Leaders Program to these schools. At CVCC, the lab will be located on the second floor of the AREVA Technology Center on the Lynchburg Campus. It will be an important economic development resource for the community, as well as an educational resource.
The principal elements of the program are an engineering curriculum, at both the two-year and four-year level, the MAST lab, the CVCC/UVA engineering program, industry partnerships, and faculty development. The program complements existing engineering studies at CVCC and will become an increasingly important part of that curriculum.
Stan Shoun, Vice-President of Workforce Development at the College, explains, This partnership continues expansion of the engineering degree pathways for our local students in direct support of local businesses and industries.
According to Bob Bailey, Executive Director of CAER, We will be working with area companies to identify research projects to bring to this lab. This approach will provide real-world applications for the students; the classroom projects will be actual, not theoretical. As a result, the lab will become important resource for local companies and for their product development. The goal is to educate engineers for the future of Central Virginia, while helping local business and industry grow through meaningful research at an important, area-wide lab.
Release Date: 10:00 AM (EST) 09/15/08
Release Number: 080909NSFgrant.doc
Media Contact:
Kathy Cudlin
Coordinator, Public Relations and Marketing
Central Virginia Community College