Virginia Tech Students Benefit From $211 Million CAD/CAM/CAE System Donation
FOR RELEASE: February 27, 2002Virginia Tech Students Benefit From $211 Million CAD/CAM/CAE System Donation
Blacksburg, Va. - General Motors Corp., Sun Microsystems and EDS continue to demonstrate their commitment to education by donating more than $211 million in computer-aided design, manufacturing and engineering (CAD/CAM/CAE) software, hardware and training to Virginia Tech, located in Blacksburg, Va.
This corporate alliance initiative, titled Partners for the Advancement of CAD/CAM/CAE Education (PACE), was formed in 1999 to help provide future engineers from key institutions with the education and experience desired by each of the partnering corporations.
PACE creates networks for research, curriculum development, textbook development and other forms of collaboration between GM, Sun Microsystems, EDS and academia. In addition to the hardware, software and training donated by the three core partners, PACE institutions receive a substantial contribution of ADAMS (Automatic Dynamic Analysis of Mechanical Systems) software from Mechanical Dynamics, Inc. of Ann Arbor, Mich.
Students at Virginia Tech will now be using the same advanced math-based engineering and design tools in the classroom that GM engineers used in the lab to design the award-winning 2002 Chevy Avalanche and GMC Envoy. Using Unigraphics software from EDS' PLM Solutions, students will learn to design, engineer and validate products in a virtual world to prepare them to address real-world challenges such as accelerated product development cycles and increased productivity demands.
"The technology that PACE has donated represents the future of engineering and design," says John Middlebrook, GM Vice President and General Manager of Vehicle Brand Marketing/Advertising. "Our industry demands that we move quickly and deliver unsurpassed quality, reliability and durability in every product we produce. By the time they graduate, these students will be among the most experienced and highly skilled graduates to enter the work force. Companies such as ours will turn to them for innovative ideas and the know-how to deliver excellent products."
In addition to the PACE contribution of CAD/CAM/CAE software and hardware, the General Motors Foundation has pledged a cash gift to Virginia Tech of $200,000 over five years, $160,000 of which will support maintenance and operations of the system.
Virginia Tech is the home of Virginia's entrepreneurial College of Engineering, the leading College of Engineering in the Commonwealth. Known in Virginia and throughout the nation for the excellence of its programs in engineering education, research, and public service, the College ranks among the top 25 of its peers for the quality of both its undergraduate and graduate education. Approximately 6,500 students are enrolled in undergraduate and graduate engineering at Virginia Tech, 17% of whom are women.
The College of Engineering at Virginia Tech continuously demonstrates national leadership in student computing. In 1983, it was the first public university to require its engineering students to own high-end personal computers. In the early 1990s, the college expanded its computing requirement by adding multimedia capabilities. In the late 1990s, the college decided to renovate an entire building to house student design projects, many of which address automotive challenges. And, during that decade, the college became a nationally recognized leader in educating undergraduate engineers in green or sustainable engineering.
"Today's in-kind contribution from PACE will enable us to take this educational leadership to the next level by providing all our students with top-of-the-line CAD/CAM/CAE software systems-both Unigraphics and ADAMS-free of charge on their privately owned PCs. This has never been done before," said Dr. Jan Helge Bøhn, director of the Virginia Tech CAD Lab and associate professor of mechanical engineering. "The significance of this infrastructure upgrade will become even more evident as we begin to engage our students in joint 24/7 design and product realization projects across time zones with, for instance, students at the PACE institutions across the globe. With PACE, we are definitely leading the way to the future of engineering education."
Virginia Tech joins an elite list of universities in the United States, Canada and Mexico benefiting from a donation of leading-edge design technology that will help prepare students for careers in engineering and manufacturing.
"We're very pleased and grateful to be a part of this program and for the mutually beneficial and strategic relationships we will be developing with all of the PACE partners," said Virginia Tech President Charles W. Steger at a donation ceremony held today on campus. "This significant contribution of computer hardware and software, as well as the training and technical support to operate those systems, will help to ensure Virginia Tech's long tradition of preparing the top technical and managerial leaders of the future."
Virginia Tech is the seventeenth university to receive a PACE donation. Strategically selected universities are invited to participate in the program based on their ability to meet specific criteria, including:
- A long-term relationship with GM as a primary educational partner
- A strong product development and manufacturing curriculum
- An adequate infrastructure of facilities, maintenance systems and personnel to support the donated hardware and software
- A willingness to integrate Unigraphics software into the engineering curriculum
"We are committed to improving the technical stature of academic institutions and their ability to develop topnotch engineers and technologists for our global communities, customers and business partners," said Stuart McCutcheon, President of Automotive Delivery for EDS PLM Solutions. "We believe that EDS must help academic institutions increase the skills of the workforce, introduce the most advanced technologies and improve product life cycle management. We are proud to team with Virginia Tech's strong academic leaders and gifted students in improving manufacturing in the Mid Atlantic Region and beyond."
Sun Microsystems
"We are pleased that Virginia Tech students will be utilizing Sun technology solutions to advance research in science and engineering based design tools," said Kim Jones, Vice President of Global Education and Research, Sun Microsystems. "Sun is focused on advancing scientific and e-learning technology to help transform critical university research into future products that will help teachers, parents and students and at the same time lead to breakthrough discoveries. In particular, we are pleased to participate in PACE projects at Virginia Tech in the area of computer-aided design and manufacturing."
PACE has made donations to universities in the United States, Canada and Mexico including: Michigan State University, Michigan Technological University, University of Missouri-Rolla, Tuskegee University, Kettering University, Northwestern University, Prairie View A&M University, University of Waterloo, University of Toronto, Queen's University, Instituto Politecnico Nacional, the Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (Toluca, Monterrey and Mexico Campuses), Universidad Iberoamericana and the Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo de Mexico. The total value of these donations to date is more than $1 billion.