Society of Manufacturing Engineers Awards Grants to Advance Educational Opportunities in Manufacturing, Engineering, Science and Technology

DEARBORN, Mich., Aug. 12 -- The Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) Education Foundation today announced the 2002 grant recipients. Four colleges qualified to the receive the grants which will be used to expand and improve manufacturing, engineering, science and technology programs to better prepare today's emerging workforce. The 2002 recipients are: The University of Detroit Mercy, Detroit, Michigan, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York, Southwest Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas and Terra Community College, Fremont, Ohio. The universities received the grants to develop and improve programs designed to close competency gaps in college graduates that have been identified by industry leaders. Since 1998, the SME Foundation has invested more than $6.4 million in grants targeting the future-manufacturing workforce.

"To remain competitive in today's global marketplace we need to constantly improve the educational programs offered in the field of manufacturing, engineering, science and technology," said Ray Adams, SME Education Foundation president. "Through SME's Education Foundation we are able to provide grants to universities in partnership with industry to create innovative programs, new degrees and improvements in capital equipment."

The University of Detroit Mercy in partnership with Macomb Community College, Schoolcraft College and Holy Redeemer High School will form an alliance to develop four new degree programs in manufacturing, engineering and manufacturing technology. The four new degrees include an associate's degree in manufacturing technology, an associate's degree of manufacturing engineering and technology, an associate's degree in pre-engineering in manufacturing engineering and a bachelor's in manufacturing engineering. This project called The Great Lakes Education Alliance for Manufacturing (GLEAM) will carry men and women from high school through community college and then to the university level. The goal of the project is to increase the number of trained manufacturing engineers and technologists in the Great Lakes region.

The recent growth of the Internet and wireless communication has created a huge demand for Optoelectronics. With growth expected to top $10 million by 2006, Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in partnership with Corning Community College in Corning, New York and George Brown College in Toronto, Canada will develop the Consortium for Optoelectronics Packaging Education, or COPE. This curriculum will address specific manufacturing processes in optoelectronics assembly. Each course will be supported with a lab component allowing students to receive hands-on training and conduct applied research.

The curriculum will be part of RIT's manufacturing and mechanical engineering technology program, and will be available to students in other engineering and engineering technology programs at RIT, Corning and George Brown College. In addition, RIT in cooperation with local industry will also develop and produce two-day workshops in optoelectronics.

Since the oil bust of the late 70's, the state of Texas has redefined itself as a vibrant base for a variety of manufacturing industries including material removal, metal casting, polymers and composites, semiconductor fabrication, computer manufacturing and high technology manufacturing. However, a shortage of well-educated and trained manufacturing professionals in the high technology manufacturing industry could force these manufacturers to leave the state. In response, Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas is committed to producing engineers, technologists and scientists that are well educated and trained in manufacturing engineering to support the economic well being of Texas and the United States in general.

The grant given to Southwest Texas State University will enable the university to develop curriculums in automated manufacturing systems and specialized semiconductor manufacturing that furthers a student's background in basic processes to advanced and special processes. To complement the current lab equipment, additional state-of-the art processing equipment, robots and computer based vision systems will be purchased.

Cooperative partnerships will be developed with community colleges that allow for transfer agreements between an associate's degree in engineering at the community college level and the manufacturing engineering degree at Southwest Texas State University. In addition, Southwest Texas State would take the lead in training community college faculty on the use of basic semiconductor fabrication equipment to facilitate community college faculty development.

The grant to Terra Community College in Fremont, Ohio will be used to develop a Center for Integrated Manufacturing Solutions, revise the current manufacturing curriculum and renovate technology labs. Some of the curriculum changes to be implemented include providing second year students the opportunity to work on industry projects while they work towards a certificate or degree in Engineering Design, Computer Automated Design (CAD), Integrated Manufacturing/Robotics or Industrial Electricity (PLCs). Other curriculum changes include allowing students to work for one full academic year on each project from design through implementation using the latest manufacturing processes and equipment.

The Society of Manufacturing Engineers Education Foundation is one the nation's leading nonprofit organizations dedicated to advancing manufacturing education through the donation of grants and scholarships.

Celebrating its 70th anniversary, the Society of Manufacturing Engineers is the world's leading professional society supporting manufacturing education. Through its member programs, publications, expositions, and professional development resources, SME promotes an increased awareness of manufacturing engineering and helps keep manufacturing professionals up to date on leading trends and technologies. Headquartered in Michigan, SME influences more than half a million manufacturing engineers and executives annually. The Society has members in 70 countries and is supported by a network of hundreds of chapters worldwide. Visit us at www.sme.org .