Unparalleled Industry Connections

Transcript

Okay, everyone, we’re gonna to head over to the Alliance for the Development of Additive Processing Technology Center and meet up with Craig, a mechanical engineering professor and director of the Advanced Manufacturing Program here at Mines. He’s gonna share more about the benefits Mines’ close industry connections have for students and future innovation. It’s all yours, Craig.

– Thanks, Alex. Before becoming a professor at Mines, I worked collaboratively alongside faculty and students as an industry researcher, developing advanced manufacturing and materials. Mines is a place where students are introduced to the cutting-edge. I see this happening in the advanced manufacturing program that I lead, where we are driving implementation of 3D printed parts in a wide variety of industries. And Mines is paving the way in other emerging industries by offering new programs, such as the first space resources graduate program in the solar system, and one of the nation’s first quantum engineering programs. So whether a student’s interest is in the vastness of space, the quirks of the subatomic, or anywhere in between, Mines has them covered. But how does this innovation happen? Well, thanks in part to Mines’ close ties with industry and by giving students hands-on opportunities to work on real world projects from day one. I work closely with an industry consortium, the Alliance for the Development of Additive Processing Technologies, or ADAPT, where we develop and implement 3D printed products in a variety of industries. National labs, like the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, help us build top notch programs and pipelines for our students. Student projects, including capstone design, and various out of the classroom innovation challenges bring leading industry experts to campus to provide face-to-face feedback and mentorship. We’ve even had some TV stars on campus, like Adam Savage, who was so impressed with the work we’re doing here and our students, that he asked us to help him build a titanium superhero suit that flew in 2019. At Mines, students don’t just learn the basics, they get to try their hand at cutting-edge technologies on projects with top companies, government agencies, and national labs. This gives them an inside look at the working world, and puts them at the forefront of innovation in a way that they can’t find anywhere else. Take it back, Alex.

– That’s incredible, Craig. Where else can you work on a real life superhero suit? Hearing about all the opportunities to work on interesting projects with real world applications is so cool. Thank you for sharing that with us. Take care.