Dalton “Ross” Smith, an instructor in Mississippi State University’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, has received $10.5 million to expand engineering education through the Advancements in Manufacturing Upscaling (AiM UP) program and a new laboratory space.
Smith said the AiM UP program has three different stages. The first phase begins on campus where MSU is revamping its mechanical and industrial engineering curriculums.
Smith said MSU is working with companies that hire MSU engineering alumni to learn what these companies want from their new hires.
“Everything that we are going to be doing is creating training based off exactly industry input and industry feedback,” Smith said. “And from there we’re going to update and modernize our education, so when students come, either within IC or ME programs, they’re going to be taking courses that’s going to be directly related to hands-on activities influenced in partnership directly with companies.”
Smith said MSU is also creating a new advanced manufacturing lab space called the Innovation Design and Engineering Educational Laboratory (IDEE Lab). Located in the Patterson Engineering Laboratories building, the IDEE Lab will house a variety of manufacturing equipment including computer numerical control systems, plasma tables and 3D printers.
The IDEE Lab will give students exposure to equipment that is commonly used in the industry, preparing students for their future careers. The lab will be used for instruction and as a free space for engineering students to work on personal projects. Smith is hopeful that the IDEE Lab will be available to students sometime during the spring semester.
Joseph Tillery, a senior mechanical engineering major at MSU, said that hands-on learning is vital for developing engineers.
“The value of working hands-on and understanding the problem and going through the manufacturing process while you’re making something is just priceless as far as developing engineers to work better and understand the problems that they’re going to come into when they go to the workforce,” Tillery said.
The second phase of the AiM UP program is to provide training for engineers already in the workforce. MSU is partnering with East Mississippi Community College to offer two courses, one on automation and robotics and another on composites.
Christopher Bounds is the director of the MSU Advanced Composites Institute (ACI). Bounds said the ACI offers camps and after-school programs for middle and high school students. In the high school program, young engineers can design and create real projects like cornhole boards and bicycles. Some funding from the AiM UP program will support training at ACI.
For two-year and four-year college students, ACI offers a boot-camp style program that takes place over a couple of weeks where students can learn essential skills. ACI also recommends students to companies in the industry and ensures that these students have the job-specific training they need before starting their careers.
ACI also trains engineers already in the workforce. ACI partners with companies like Boeing who will send their employees to ACI to receive job-specific training free of charge.
The third phase of the AiM UP program involves engaging with K-12 students  in hopes of inspiring them to pursue careers in engineering and manufacturing.
Tonya McCall, director at the MSU Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems Extension, is leading the K-12 engagement aspect of AiM UP. McCall said that the community outreach is still being planned, but that it will include inviting K-12 graders to campus to see the labs and technology that MSU engineering students use as well as visiting local schools to showcase engineering tech.
McCall said that the goal is to expose K-12 students to modern manufacturing.
“What we hear from industry are concerns about what their future pipeline of workers looks like down the road, so we’re trying our best, as a small part of this effort, to try to make sure that we are reaching those young minds,” McCall said.

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Courtesy Photo | Dalton Smith

The new lab seeks to instruct mechanical engineers in the context of real-world challenges. The AiM UP program hopes to expand community outreach.