9553345 Azadivar A comprehensive manufacturing learning center (the MLC) will be developed. Just as teaching hospitals are full service medical facilities yet provide a research and educational environment for medical students and other health professionals to get hands-on training solving real-life medical problems; this proposed center would have a fully actualized manufacturing function integrated into manufacturing engineering education capabilities. The center would utilize an existing research and technology transfer facility where students and trainees can intern in actual manufacturing situations solving real-life manufacturing problems. The MLC would enhance the manufacturing engineering education and provide a research/education/ technology transfer model for others to emulate. The manufacturing theme encompasses a wide range of engineering activities. The theme allows training and education for a large group of professionals in many engineering and other supporting disciplines. It would also addresses a critical need for development of human resources in an area of economic activity that has been suffering in recent years. The MLC will utilize the existing full service "manufacturing processes prototyping" plant at Kansas State University. This research/teaching/manufacturing facility would bridge research and engineering education at Kansas State University and the research and development needs of small to medium-sized industries. The MLC will be managed and run by a partnership of KSU' s Advanced Manufacturing Institute (AMI), faculty and students in the Engineering and other Colleges of the University, technical and vocational schools in the state, two technical assistance organizations in the region and managers and manufacturing experts from private manufacturing firms.
