Edmonds CC work on materials science featured in congressional testimony
09/28/2011
Dr. Cora Marrett of the National Science Foundation included Edmonds College's work as an example of Engineering Research Center outreach during her testimony before Congress on cross-country community college collaboration and outreach.
Dr. Marrett testified:
"Edmonds College (EdCC) is a two-year technical college (located near Boeing, in Washington State) that, through its Global Training Center, offers the most comprehensive workforce training programs available for the aerospace industry in the areas of composite materials and manufacturing processes. It has special workforce training programs for non-traditional careers for women, especially young mothers seeking training and employment in STEM disciplines.
"The Engineering Research Center (ERC) for Revolutionizing Metallic Biomaterials (RMB), headquartered at North Carolina A&T State University (NCAT), outreached its nano-bio activities to strengthen EDCC‘s nationally recognized workforce development activities. The ERC’s education staff worked closely with Ms. Mary Kaye Bredeson of the Materials and Processes Development Center at EDCC and Dr. Mel Cossette of EDCC‘s Materials Education National Resource Center (http://www.materialseducation.org/) to organize the 2010 National Educators Workshop (NEW).
"In North Carolina, RMB is partnered with Guilford Technical Community College (GTCC). The Center connected GTCC with EDCC through both the ERC’s REU and RET programs. NEW 2010 was so well-liked by the out-of-town visitors that RMB agreed to again host the 2011 (26th) NEW at NCAT in October 2011.
"In addition, articulation agreements are currently being worked out between GTCC and the Fayetteville (NC) Technical Community College (FTCC) and NCAT for seamless transition of Community College students with Associates Degrees and the appropriate credentials into NCAT‘s engineering programs. The participation of GTCC Biotechnology Coordinator Dr. Jameson McCann and FTCC Nanotechnology Coordinator Dr. Kevin Conley will facilitate the recruitment of qualified students into NCAT‘s undergraduate bioengineering program."