- The Institute Enters into a Memorandum of Understanding withTexas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) Today atSigning Event in College Station
Youngstown, Ohio — March 22, 2019. America Makes proudly announces its second America Makes Satellite Center to be located within the facilities of the Institute’s Platinum-level member, the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES), a part of The Texas A&M University System, in College Station, Texas. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between America Makes, which is managed by the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM), and TEES was signed and announced today during a signing event held at the Zachry Engineering Education Complex at 9:30 a.m. Central Daylight Time (CDT).
In attendance for the MOU signing event was America Makes Executive Director Rob Gorham; America Makes Director of Partnerships & Community Relations Erin O’Donnell; America Makes Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) Program Manager Dennis Butcher; M. Katherine Banks, Ph.D., Texas A&M Engineering Vice Chancellor and Dean of Engineering and National Labs; and Dimitris Lagoudas, Ph.D., TEES Deputy Director.
“On behalf of all of us at America Makes, we are pleased to announce the selection of the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station as the site of our second America Makes Satellite Center,” said America Makes Executive Director Rob Gorham. “For more than 100 years, TEES has performed groundbreaking engineering research and developed technology to address state and national problems. With our second America Makes Satellite Center to also be located in Texas, housed on the Texas A&M campus, we have strategically expanded our reach of accelerating the adoption of additive manufacturing technologies to encompass all of the Southwest and Southeast United States. We look forward getting the America Makes Satellite Center at TEES up and running soon.”
Of the opportunity to elevate its collaboration with America Makes through the creation of a Satellite Center, Dr. M. Katherine Banks, Texas A&M Engineering Vice Chancellor and Dean of Engineering and National Labs said, “Texas A&M has one of the largest concentrations of core manufacturing subject matter experts in the country, which makes it the perfect location for American Makes’ newest Satellite Center. As a Platinum-level member of America Makes, we have built a strong partnership with the Institute and will be able to leverage our relationships with industry and academe to accelerate new developments in additive manufacturing technologies.”
Managed by NCDMM, America Makes is the national accelerator for additive manufacturing (AM) and the first Institute within the Manufacturing USA network. As a public-private partnership, America Makes currently has a membership community comprised of more than 220 member organizations, bringing together our nation’s brilliant technical minds from all corners of government, industry, and academia to create a hub of advanced manufacturing innovation in AM.
The objective of the America Makes Satellite Center model is to extend the reach of the existing America Makes mission by complementing and expanding its current regional, industrial, and technological footprint. America Makes founded its first Satellite Center in 2015 at the W.M. Keck Center for 3D Innovation on the campus of the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). Ryan Wicker, Ph.D., Director and Founder of the Keck Center, was also in attendance at today’s signing event to lend his support to the expansion of the America Makes Satellite Center network.
In summarizing the significance of today signing, America Makes Director of Partnerships & Community Relations Erin O’Donnell added, “Today marks an exciting milestone for America Makes. By expanding the Satellite Center network to include another world-class engineering research entity, we are able to capitalize on the strength of our shared goal and synergies to further the innovation in and the adoption of AM technologies. From Youngstown to El Paso and now College Station, America Makes is leading the transition of AM technologies from the research lab to commercialization. I can’t wait to collaborate with the America Makes Satellite Center teams at both UTEP’s Keck Center and TEES to fulfill the mission of America Makes.”
TEES, as an engineering research agency of the state of Texas and an entity within the Engineering Program of the Texas A&M System, is an internationally recognized world leader in transformational engineering. TEES helps government and industry partners deliver innovative technology solutions to grand challenges in energy, infrastructure, national security and safety, healthcare, information systems and sensors, materials and manufacturing, technology transfer, and workforce development.
The plan is for the America Makes Satellite Center to be located in Texas A&M University’s Emerging Technologies Building initially. However, the long-term goal is to move the Satellite Center to The Texas A&M University System RELLIS Campus, a premier, high-tech, multi-institutional research, testing and workforce development campus in Bryan, Texas. The Texas A&M System is currently expanding the RELLIS Campus by developing an additional 2,000 acres at the site.
For more information about America Makes, its Satellite Centers, or how to become a member, please visit the America Makes Web site at https://americamakes.us. Follow us on Twitter @AmericaMakes.
About America Makes
America Makes is the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute. As the national accelerator for additive manufacturing (AM), America Makes is the nation’s leading and collaborative partner in AM and 3DP technology research, discovery, creation, and innovation. Structured as a public-private partnership with member organizations from industry, academia, government, non-government agencies, and workforce and economic development resources, we are working together to innovate and accelerate AM to increase our nation’s global manufacturing competitiveness. Based in Youngstown, Ohio, America Makes is the first Institute within the Manufacturing USA infrastructure and is driven by the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM). For more information about America Makes, visit americamakes.us.
About NCDMM
NCDMM delivers innovative and collaborative manufacturing solutions that enhance our nation’s workforce and economic competitiveness. NCDMM has extensive knowledge and depth in manufacturing areas—both commercial and defense—continually innovate, improve, and advance manufacturing technologies and methodologies. Our experienced team specializes in identifying the needs, the players, the technologies, and processes to attain optimal solutions for our customers. We connect the dots. That’s the NCDMM methodology. NCDMM also manages the national accelerator for additive manufacturing (AM) and 3DP printing (3DP), America Makes and the V4 Institute. For additional information, visit the NCDMM at ncdmm.org.
About the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES)
As an engineering research agency of Texas, TEES performs quality research driven by world problems; strengthens and expands the state’s workforce through educational partnerships and training; and develops and transfers technology to industry. TEES partners with academic institutions, governmental agencies, industries, and communities to solve problems to help improve the quality of life, promote economic development and enhance educational systems. For more information, visit tees.tamu.edu/.
About The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP)
UTEP has redefined public higher education not only in Texas, but also across the nation as the University begins its second century of service. Since opening its doors as the Texas State School of Mines and Metallurgy in 1914, UTEP’s geographic location along the U.S.-Mexico border has enabled generations of students to pursue their goals through higher education in one of the largest binational communities in the world. With more than $80 million in annual research spending, UTEP is dedicated to becoming the first national research university serving a 21st century student demographic. The University’s outstanding record of receiving extremely competitive grant awards reflects the quality of UTEP’s faculty and their sustained commitment to excellence while also maintaining an academic environment dedicated to addressing the educational needs of students. For more information about UTEP, visit utep.edu.
About the W.M. Keck Center for 3D Innovation
Located at the University of Texas at El Paso, the W.M. Keck Center for 3D Innovation is a unique multidisciplinary research facility focused on the use and development of additive manufacturing (AM) technologies with primary focus areas in AM Technology Development, Engineered and Structured Materials, and Advanced AM Applications. The Keck Center was established in 2001 as part of a $1 million grant from the W.M. Keck Foundation and was recently expanded to its current 13,000 square feet as a result of funding from the Texas Emerging Technology Fund, the University of Texas System, and Lockheed Martin. For more information, visit keck.utep.edu.
Source: America Makes
