POWERGRAMS

The center will be offered as a resource for K-12 STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) teachers to expose middle school and high school students to robotic manufacturing. This will augment JSU's existing training for STEM teachers so they can add robotics to their curriculums. A portion of the grant bought a trailer for the department to haul equipment to high school competitions around the state, an effort JSU hopes will entice students to consider applied engineering and similar fields. The Alabama Power grant, Marbut says, has been "transformative," even though the center is unfinished. "The grant continues to have a ripple effect, as it has opened doors to other opportunities for the department to better serve the needs of our industry partners," Marbut said. "The impact of the grant is, in a word, huge." "Promoting STEM education is important to our current workforce development efforts," said Julia Segars, vice president of Alabama Power's Eastern Division. "We are proud to support JSU's efforts in extending their robotics program to develop highly skilled, employable college graduates." JSU will eventually build four cells, each about 144 square feet that includes robots, computer electrical controls, conveyor belts, storage and safety devices. It's at each cell where robots grind, paint, weld and sort. In a scanning application, for example, Marbut said one robot will hold a car or airplane part while another scans it in 3-D. The scan is then 21 'TRANSFORMATIVE' Applied Engineering student Forrest Pearson works with a robot.

• Cover