Community Education Coalition dedicates new advanced manufacturing educational center
COLUMBUS, Ind. - The Community Education Coalition on Friday (June 10) dedicated the new Advanced Manufacturing Center for Excellence in Columbus.
The 43,000 square-foot state-of-the-art facility will be shared by Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus, Ivy Tech Community College and Purdue College of Technology and will be used to train students for manufacturing and related industries in both two- and four-year technology and engineering-related degrees.
Purdue College of Technology Dean Dennis Depew said he is pleased to have a new home in Columbus.
“This beautiful facility is a testament to the commitment this region has to serving the educational and workforce development needs of its citizens," said Depew. "This project perfectly fits the College of Technology mission and Purdue's charge as a land grant university."
The center will offer an array of programs including on-site and virtual training, executive education, and best practice workshops, all created to inspire students to pursue careers in the STEM disciplines: science, technology, engineering and math. The center also will offer business support expertise and information, prototyping, student projects and demonstrations.
"Education and economic growth of a region are directly linked," said Mark Gerstle, chief administrative officer of Cummins Inc. in Columbus. "Our area is fortunate to have education, industry, community, workforce and government leaders all working together to develop a regional system of learning.”
Gerstle chairs the Community Education Coalition that includes Purdue University College of Technology, Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus and Ivy Tech Community College. The coalition partnered with the Community Foundation of Bartholomew County and the Heritage Fund in 2007 to launch "Economic Opportunities through Education by 2015." A Hudson Institute study identified the need for a center focused on career pathways and infrastructure for advanced manufacturing-related education in a local economy where more than 25 percent of the workforce is in advanced manufacturing. The Lilly Endowment provided the necessary grant money to build the center.
"Manufacturing jobs are becoming highly technical and require a skilled workforce," said Ivy Tech President Thomas J. Snyder. "The Advanced Manufacturing Center of Excellence will help educate and train today's and tomorrow's workforce and will provide manufacturers with the skilled workers they need to compete in the global economy."
ACME houses four technically equipped classrooms, 13 technically equipped laboratories, two conference rooms, professional offices and two courtyards.
"Now that the Advanced Manufacturing Center of Excellence is a reality, students in the engineering program at IUPUC will complete fluid mechanics, heat transfer, physics, mechanical design, and many other courses in a new, well-equipped facility," said IUPUC Vice Chancellor Marwan Wafa.
Featured speakers at the dedication will include Purdue President France Córdova; Indiana University President Michael McRobbie; Ivy Tech Community College President Tom Snyder; founding Community Education Coalition board member Will Miller; and architect Cesar Pelli.
Tours will be given immediately after the ceremony through 1 p.m.
"The AMCE building is simple, strong and elegant," Pelli said. "I have designed it with much love for Columbus and admiration for its educational and training purpose."
Writer: Jim Schenke, 765-494-6262, jschenke@purdue.edu
Sources: Dennis Depew, 765-494-2552, ddepew@purdue.edu
Marwan Wafa, 812-348-7226, mawafa@iupuc.edu
Note to Journalists: For additional information regarding the AMCE dedication ceremony and related activities, please call Chris Beach at 812-314-8507.