Late last month, Wayne State University broke ground on a new Advanced Technology Education Center (ATEC) in Warren, MI. It’s one of three new facilities Wayne State has planned in Macomb County.
The 40,000-square-foot facility will offer programs focused primarily on engineering, computer science, supply chain management, and advanced manufacturing complementary to industries already located in Warren. The city is home to many of Michigan’s defense and automotive supply companies.
Ahmad Ezzeddine, the associate vice president for educational outreach and international programs, says Wayne State also wanted the ATEC to be close to Macomb Community College to supplement the courses it offers. “We have a good partnership with them,” he explains. “We plan to have joint programs so students will have a clear pathway to enroll at Wayne State. Students can be dually enrolled, working towards an undergraduate degree.”
Eventually, Ezzeddine says, the ATEC will have the capacity to serve about 800 students per semester. The facility will incorporate the latest technologies in mechanical engineering and computer design and will include a laboratory that specializes in advanced battery development.
Wayne State is already in discussions with GM; TACOM, one of the U.S. Army’s largest weapon systems research and development organizations; and other major employers in the area about how they might work directly with the ATEC to train students. “We’re very excited about this facility,” Ezzeddine adds.
The project involves the renovation of an existing structure at a 3.5-acre site on E. 12 Mile Road . The total estimated cost of the ATEC facility is $12 million. It opens its doors to students in the fall of 2014.
