The Lawson State Community College HBCU-UP Targeted Infusion Project will combine advanced technology and engineering related curriculum with a Modular Production System (MPS) to create real-time learning for a broad spectrum of underrepresented students in Technology and Engineering STEM careers. Alabama manufacturers are constantly seeking a diverse workforce with the skills required to design, assemble, and maintain production lines using a systems approach to troubleshooting. They are seeking engineers and technicians who can diagnose, locate and fix any problem in a manufacturing production line. To meet this demand Lawson State Community College will purchase and install a Modular Production System and implement 4 courses that will use the system.
Intellectual Merit: The Lawson State Community College project will establish and equip a premier Advanced Technologies Laboratory (ATL) which will be utilized by the seven instructors in the Manufacturing and Engineering Division. The new lab will enhance employability of residents and will serve as an economic catalyst through collaboration between the College and the 300 members of Manufacture Alabama. Four new courses developed by manufacturers and postsecondary faculty will be taught in the lab. Students in Computer Aided Design and Manufacturing (CAD/CAM), Electronics/Electrical Engineering, Industrial Electronics/Industrial Systems, and Computerized Numerical Controls (CNC) disciplines within the Manufacturing and Engineering Division will benefit from the ATL.
Broader Impact: The impact of the project will be improved technology instruction, articulation of curriculum, and an increased number of highly skilled technicians and engineers that complete a STEM degree and matriculate to a four-year institution. The project also includes manufacturing seminars for high school and college instructors; educational workshops for business and industry; and presentations at conferences such as the National Coalition of Advanced Technology Centers (NCATC). The lab will also help to broaden the diversity of manufacturing technicians through active recruitment of underrepresented populations into advanced technology and engineering fields.
