Technology intern program engages Anderson incubator

The Flagship Enterprise Center, a certified technology park, has joined with the college to match Purdue students to work in semester-long internships with its companies. Tammy Hiday, a senior industrial technology at the College of Technology's Anderson location, is working with Altair Nanotechnologies.

It is the first such collaboration between the two groups. Jody Pierce, assistant director of the College of Technology at Anderson, Muncie and Richmond, said partnership is a way to combine Purdue's technology education programs and the Flagship Enterprise Center's high-tech industry support programs to contribute to the economic development of Anderson and the surrounding areas.

"This program provides opportunities for the College of Technology, the Flagship Enterprise Center and the entire Anderson area," Pierce said. "In addition to a providing valuable learning experience to students, the internships will provide companies with skilled workers and liaisons to the innovative applied research being done by local College of Technology faculty."

Although the internship program is beginning with one student, Pierce said she expects it to grow in coming semesters. The goal, she said, is to be able to match qualified students with every interested company in the incubator.

"We don't have a number of students as a goal because the most important factor will be to match students' expertise and career interests with the best position," she said. "The start-up and established companies at the Flagship Enterprise Center give the students the opportunity to work in a wide range of industries and explore their interests."

Hiday, for example, is working on a semester-long industrial engineering project for Altair Nanotechnologies, helping the company design, develop and document its production processes.

Art Patterson, executive director of the Flagship Enterprise Center, said the ongoing relationship between the center and Purdue will be a valuable resource for companies that are part of the center.

"This partnership opens up a whole new source of expertise for our clients," Patterson said. "Purdue is one of the best and most widely respected technology and engineering universities in the country. We have interns from other universities, and adding Purdue students to the Flagship Enterprise Center will only improve the way we can support our clients."

Serving as a small business incubator and early-stage business accelerator, the Flagship Enterprise Center supports the development of emerging manufacturing, electronics and information technologies. In July 2003, the Flagship Enterprise Center was designated as Indiana's second Certified Technology Park. It provides access to university researchers and scientists, ongoing contact with management consulting, student mentoring opportunities for research and development support and access to telecommunications tools.

Purdue's College of Technology at Anderson serves students from 11 Indiana counties: Hamilton, Hancock, Madison, Delaware, Blackford, Jay, Randolph, Henry, Wayne, Fayette, Union, and Franklin. Both full-time and part-time students can earn associate's degrees in computer and information technology, electrical and engineering technology and mechanical engineering technology. Associate and bachelor's degrees are offered in organizational leadership and supervision, and students can earn bachelor's degrees in industrial technology.

Writer: Matt Holsapple, (765) 494-2073, mholsapple@purdue.edu

Sources: Jody Pierce, (765) 641-4557, pierceja@purdue.edu

Art Patterson, (765) 622-0100, director@flagshipenterprise.org

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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