Wayne State U Upgrades Engineering Labs

The College of Engineering at Wayne State University in Detroit, MI has received a $500,000 grant to aid in upgrades to its facilities.

The grant, from the charitable foundation at DTE Energy, will be combined with the university's own investment in the enhancement project, aimed at new equipment, work stations and computers, fume hoods and hardware, necessary lab supplies, and facility upgrades.

"Students need a place where they can build things, and teaching labs are essential for engineering students to get hands-on, practical experience," said Wayne State University President Allan Gilmour in a release. "Employers want to hire graduates who can contribute from day one, and these labs will prepare Wayne State students with skills that set them on a successful career path."

The "hands-on" experiences that the school hopes the enhanced labs will foster are one facet of the WSU College of Engineering's "Five Pillars" approach to engineering education, which includes experiential learning through co-ops and internships, global perspective, scholarships, and undergraduate research, according to the university Web site.

"These renovated teaching labs will allow the college to enhance curriculum, create more hands-on learning experiments, and initiate industry-sponsored student projects," said Dean of Engineering Farshad Fotouhi in a release. "By investing in our students, the DTE Energy Foundation is helping to shape a 21st-century learning environment that will attract and retain high-quality students and better prepare them for a life in engineering."

About the Author

Kevin Hudson is a freelance journalist based in Portland, Oregon. He can be reached at [email protected].

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