{"id":5693,"date":"2016-10-06T10:36:16","date_gmt":"2016-10-06T15:36:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/?p=5693"},"modified":"2016-10-06T10:36:16","modified_gmt":"2016-10-06T15:36:16","slug":"former-armory-repurposed-sau-engineering","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/2016\/former-armory-repurposed-sau-engineering\/","title":{"rendered":"Former armory repurposed for SAU Engineering"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"sau-engineering-sau-pres-trey-berry-jpg\"<\/a>It was a beautiful day \u2013 and a great one for Southern Arkansas University, the south Arkansas region and, more importantly, SAU engineering students.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no doubt about that,\u201d said Dr. Trey Berry, president of SAU, during Wednesday\u2019s<\/span> dedication of the new Engineering Building, formerly the National Guard Armory. \u201cIt\u2019s been a long road,\u201d he said of getting the building ready, \u201cbut we\u2019re here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Distinguished guests included Fourth District Congressman Bruce Westerman \u2013 an engineer by training \u2013 state and local officials, area public schools and chambers of commerce, and Arkansas National Guard Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Mark Berry. President Berry announced that the interior of the building would be named the Robert and Edna (Cook) Norvell Center, in honor of a gift of more than $1 million by the alumna. Funds from this endowment will benefit future students in the form of what will be known as NORCO SAU Engineering Scholarships.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis day is not just about the dedication of a building,\u201d Berry said, \u201cit\u2019s about students living and learning here for generations to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

Berry thanked the SAU Board of Trustees for \u201cbelieving in this project and its impact from the very, very beginning.\u201d He also acknowledged SAU President Emeritus Dr. David Rankin, \u201cwhose vision for the Engineering program four years ago led us to today.\u201d He also thanked the SAU Foundation Board and the College of Science and Engineering for supporting the project. \u201cTheir dogged determination made this program happen,\u201d Berry said of the College.<\/p>\n

\"sau-engineering-dedication-sau-pres-berry-cong-bruce-westerman-maj-gen-mark-berry-jpg\"<\/a>\u201cWe had planned to build a $2.2-million engineering building that would have been half this size,\u201d Berry said. \u201cAnd then we heard that the Armory was slated for closing. SAU has had a connection with the National Guard that goes back long before this building was built in 1976. This gift, Gen. Berry, was truly a blessing. To have this facility right in the middle of campus, literally double the size of what we were hoping for, saved us about $1 million. It\u2019s the perfect building.\u201d<\/p>\n

Berry said that in 2017, the old skating rink, or \u201cMule Barn,\u201d will be turned into a 78-bed residence hall for engineering and science students. \u201cLiving and learning for engineering students is just about to expand,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Westerman told the large crowd that he was \u201cexcited to be here to celebrate this program.\u201d He called the granting in 2015 of the armory back to SAU \u201ca great story \u2013 this government property being used to further an extremely important degree field.\u201d<\/p>\n

A $1.4 million renovation project turned the former armory into the new state-of-the-art engineering facility neighboring the SAU Science Center. Six labs were created along with three large classrooms, and the motor pool has been converted to a machine shop for hands-on instruction and training.<\/p>\n

Westerman joked that engineers are frequently referred to as \u201cboss\u201d just five years after they graduate. \u201cThere\u2019s such a need for more engineers. Being able to produce these graduates will have a huge impact on the local economy.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said engineering teaches students \u201chow to solve problems \u2013 how to break problems down, be discerning and come up with a reasonable answer. The fruits of this program might not be realized for many years, but you can take satisfaction knowing it will do good things for this community for years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

Junior engineering student Aaron Stanich spoke on behalf of his fellow students in the program. He told donors that thanks to their generosity the program has \u201cevolved drastically.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"sau-engineering-prof-and-students-in-lab-jpg\"<\/a>He said the extra space the new building provides is vital to the program. \u201cWe have five labs that allow for more specific work that relate to jobs we\u2019ll all be looking for in the marketplace,\u201d he said. \u201cWe now have a room dedicated just for 3-D printing that is always open for student use.\u201d<\/p>\n

Industry partners were represented by Colin Sterling, Camden site director of Lockheed Martin, which provides internship opportunities for SAU students and resources for the engineering program.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs Dr. Berry talked about the contributions that Mrs. Norvell made to this facility, I couldn\u2019t help but think what a pioneer she was,\u201d Sterling said. \u201cI can\u2019t imagine the impact she had on the lives of the students she taught around the world. I\u2019m really grateful to her today.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sterling said Lockheed Martin has helped provide engineering students with what they need to know \u201cto hit the ground running\u201d when they are ready to enter the job market. Internships such as those provided by Lockheed Martin can give students \u201can extra edge\u201d in finding jobs.<\/p>\n

He said donors should be \u201ctremendously proud\u201d of the program and the new building, and that SAU has done well in generating programs that meet the needs of companies like Lockheed Martin. \u201cQualified candidates are needed for Lockheed Martin to be successful,\u201d Sterling said. \u201cThis truly makes South Arkansas more attractive for employers who may be looking to come to the state.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Scott McKay, dean of the College of Science and Engineering, spoke about the features of the new facility. \u201cI want to thank all those who contributed to this day,\u201d he said. \u201cThis building is the cornerstone of future economic growth. This facility \u2026 will provide unprecedented opportunities for collaboration. Let\u2019s put them to work.\u201d<\/p>\n

McKay said the \u201cindustry-grade equipment\u201d makes collaboration possible with industries and entrepreneurs. \u201cFrom concept to production, we\u2019re here to help.\u201d<\/p>\n

SAU Engineering, which started fall of 2014, has seen steady enrollment growth. Enrollment numbers for fall 2016 show close to 200 declared majors, up from 172 in fall 2015.<\/p>\n

The popularity of SAU Engineering, the only such program in all of south Arkansas and most affordable in the state, is due to many reasons, according to Berry. Strong industry support since the program\u2019s inception has offered students internships and job opportunities. This support has also translated into more than $400,000 in gifts and grants from industry partners to provide the program with the latest technologies and equipment so students enter the workforce with hands-on experience.<\/p>\n

SAU Engineering offers several areas of emphasis, including Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Engineering Technology, and a new Welding Engineering Technology program developed by the SAU System. This new program is started this fall and is one-of-a-kind in Arkansas and among only a few in the country. The Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board approved SAU\u2019s addition of a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Physics with an option in Welding Engineering Technology at the Board\u2019s April 22<\/span> meeting. This integrated program utilizes the strengths of both SAU and SAU Tech and will provide highly skilled welding supervisors for the region\u2019s aerospace defense and oil and gas industries.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It was a beautiful day \u2013 and a great one for Southern Arkansas University, the south Arkansas region and, more importantly, SAU engineering students. \u201cThere\u2019s no doubt about that,\u201d said Dr. Trey Berry, president of SAU, during Wednesday\u2019s dedication of the new Engineering Building, formerly the National Guard Armory. \u201cIt\u2019s been a long road,\u201d he… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":564,"featured_media":5695,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[271,94,308,16360,16357,32641,7753,288],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-5693","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-academics","8":"category-admissions","9":"category-college-of-science-and-technology","10":"category-development","11":"category-engineering-engineering-physics","12":"category-featured-layout","13":"category-homepage","14":"category-regional-news","15":"entry"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5693","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/564"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5693"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5693\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5695"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5693"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5693"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.saumag.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5693"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}