Two high-priority national issues that will require a combination of new technological and educational solutions are improving national competitiveness and productivity and dealing with an aging infrastructure. A key element in addressing both issues is a well-developed continuum of educational and training opportunities that foster collaboration, interaction, and transfer of ideas and technology among all sectors of education, industry, and government. A regional center to improve technological education and to foster improved relationships, communication, cooperation, and interaction among the various sectors of nondestructive evaluation/nondestructive testing (NDE/NDT) education and technology and their constituencies in the north central United States is being planned. An informal consortium of Iowa State University (Ames), Hutchinson Technical College (Hutchinson, Minnesota), Moraine Valley Community College (Palos Hills, Illinois), Northeast Iowa Community College (Peosta), and Southeast Community College (Milford, Nebraska) in collaboration with industry, government, professional society, and regional high school partners is involved in this planning initiative. To provide a model for a well-articulated continuum of educational opportunities in areas of emerging technological importance, the proposed center is designed to build upon the established research accomplishments of the mature Center for NDE and College of Engineering at Iowa State University, some of the leading technical and community college programs in NDT/NDE in the United States, and selected existing educational development and technology transfer efforts. Programs that will provide motivational materials, instructional modules, curriculum materials, workshops, and shared learning environments among students and faculty at all levels from junior high school through undergraduate engineering programs are being planned.
