Engineering Technology – News

Additional partners invest in the Houlne Center for Convergent Technology

plashbrook — Fri, 28 Feb 2025 15:37:53 +0000

Feb. 28, 2025–Six more partners have invested in Saint Joseph and its skilled workforce through their support of ��ý’s new Houlne Center for Convergent Technology.

“The Houlne Center’s goal is to strengthen the region’s skilled workforce, and it will take people, programs, and places to make that happen,” said Marc Archambault, vice president of advancement and executive director of the foundation. “Taken together, these additional gifts cover each of those core areas, supporting the Center’s general fund, additional facility expansion, instructional excellence and student scholarships.”

Nestle-Purina

A space near the Houlne Center’s front entrance has been named the Nestle-Purina Gathering Space in recognition of the company’s six-figure contribution to the project. The Nestle-Purina Gathering Space will be a starting point for tours for K-12 schools, economic development leaders, prospective college students, elected officials and employees of local companies participating in workforce training or mentoring students about future careers in industry or cybersecurity.

Bradley Family

Across the atrium from the Nestle-Purina Gathering Space, the Bradley Family Conference Room honors the generous support of St. Joseph’s Bradley family. Equipped with videoconferencing capabilities, the space will enable faculty-led student groups to interact virtually with and learn from manufacturing leaders throughout the region, the nation, or even the world. The Conference Room will also host delegations aimed at attracting new industries to the Saint Joseph region.

Thevenot Family

Through a gift-in-kind contribution from the Thevenot family, now operating as TEAM MIRACLE via its local, client-facing business, Veritas Systems Construction, the Center complex will expand with the addition of a 10,000-square-foot equipment storage facility adjacent to the main building. The new structure will be named the Thevenot Family Building in honor of original co-founders Martial Thevenot and his father Edouard Thevenot. The storage facility will initially serve as a space to house industrial vehicles, raw materials for the labs, and larger equipment when not in use. Utilities will be run to the building in the event that one day it might be converted into another industry teaching lab.

Beavers Charitable Trust

The Beavers Charitable Trust, a heavy civil engineering industry organization, has provided funds to establish a Professor of Practice in Construction Engineering Technology at ��ý Western. ��ý Western becomes only the second institution in the state, and one of only a few in the nation, to hold a Beavers professorship. Tiffany Davis will be the first faculty member to hold the new professorship. Professors of practice are specialized faculty members who are seasoned practitioners from business or industry able to draw extensively upon real-world experience. The new Professorship will help ensure the Houlne Center can deliver exceptional instruction in construction engineering technology, including offering students unique, real-world learning experiences like job-site or company field trips or the chance to compete against other college students in regional or national skills challenges.

Anonymous Donor

An anonymous donor has committed $100,000 per year for five years to provide scholarships for any students taking their lab classes in engineering technology or cybersecurity in the Center.

Pete and Paul Gray

Brothers Pete and Paul Gray each contributed $100,000 to establish the Joe Gray Memorial Scholarship for manufacturing students.

All told, nearly 30 partners have so far contributed over $7.2 million in private funding to make the Houlne Center a reality, including $6 million in general support, $500,000 for industry-experienced faculty support, and $700,000 for scholarships for students pursing Engineering Technology or Cybersecurity.

��ý is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. ��ý Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

Center for Convergent Technology named after Tim Houlne ’86

kheier — Wed, 24 Jul 2024 20:19:46 +0000

Tim Houlne ’86 speaks at ��ý Western July 24, 2024, in the Houlne Center for Convergent Technology. The name of the building previously known as CTAC honors Houlne’s role in the field of artificial intelligence and his significant financial support of the project.

July 24, 2024–A new building at ��ý to serve workforce development needs in the region will bear the name of a ��ý Western alumnus who supported the project with one of the largest donations in the University’s history. The building formerly known as the Convergent Technology Alliance Center (CTAC) will be known as the Houlne Center for Convergent Technology, in honor of Tim Houlne, an entrepreneur, author and visionary in the field of artificial intelligence.

“The Houlne Center for Convergent Technology will help ��ý Western prepare the next generation of Tim Houlnes, not only in AI and cybersecurity but in advanced manufacturing and construction,” said Dr. Elizabeth Kennedy, ��ý Western’s president. “We are extremely grateful for Tim’s support of this project. His philanthropy is an expression of his civic commitment, his fondness for his ��ý Western experience and his unending interest in the development of AI and technology.”

Houlne graduated from ��ý Western in 1986 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Finance and Management. He is founder and CEO of Humach, a Dallas-based provider of AI technology-driven contact center solutions for hundreds of clients across a variety of industries and regions. Houlne co-authored the Amazon best seller, “The New World of Work,” and the second edition, “The Cube, The Cloud, and What’s Next.”

“I’m excited to be part of this ambitious endeavor because at its very foundation is the understanding that converging technologies have evolved from a discipline or field of work to become intertwined into the very fabric of our lives,” Houlne said. “With this Center, ��ý takes on heightened regional and national importance and prominence, and with it, preparing tomorrow’s workers and professionals to flourish and lead in this new technology-first world.”

The Houlne Center for Convergent Technology is a partnership with North Central ��ý College to serve workforce development needs in skilled manufacturing, construction and related industries, along with cybersecurity. The $12 million project is expected to open in Fall 2024. Funding has been provided by the State of ��ý, the City of St. Joseph, Buchanan County, and nearly 20 local business, industry, and non-profit partners. Additional support was provided by NCMC and the ��ý Foundation. ��ý Western is currently equipping the facility for a fall opening.

Houlne committed $3 million to the Center’s Project Fund, which will help support the Center’s launch and ongoing programs. It’s the third largest outright gift in ��ý Western’s history.

“Tim Houlne is a thought leader about the future of work and technology, and we’re thrilled that he instantly grasped the significance of what we’re doing in the Center for Convergent Technology and wanted to be a part of it,” said Marc Archambault, vice president of advancement and executive director of the MWSU Foundation. “Tim and many other industry leaders share our vision of a university that is well equipped to meet current and future workforce demands, and we thank them for investing in that vision.”

Previously, ��ý Western announced that parts of the building would be named the Gray Manufacturing Workshop Bay, the Altec Manufacturing Technology Bay, the Humach Advanced AI, IT, and Cyber Science Bay and the Triumph Foods and Daily’s Premium Meats Industrial Technology Bay in recognition of the support from those companies for the project. All told, 23 businesses or individuals have contributed to the project, including 18 from local industrial firms.

Representatives from industry are also participating in the Center for Convergent Technology Leadership Board to ensure that the training the students receive align with needs in the community.

College of Business and Professional Studies announces two new department chairs

kheier — Wed, 15 May 2024 16:45:31 +0000

May 15, 2024–��ý has named two new department chairs in the College of Business and Professional Studies. Both will start their duties June 3.

Craig School of Business

Dr. Sel Dibooglu will serve as chair of the Steven L. Craig School of Business. Dr. Dibooglu is currently professor and chair of the MBA program at Wilmington University College of Business. He previously served as chair of the Department of Finance and Economics and director of the executive MBA program at the University of Sharjah, UAE. He also taught at the University of ��ý-St. Louis for 16 years, and at Southern Illinois University for 10 years.

Dr. Dibooglu earned a Ph.D. in Economics from Iowa State University, a Master of Arts in Economics from Ankara University, Turkey, and a Bachelor of Science in Economics from Gazi University, Turkey.

Engineering Technology

Dr. Boong Yeol Ryoo will serve as chair of the Department of Engineering Technology. Dr.Ryoo is currently associate professor in the Department of Construction Sciences in the College of Architecture at Texas A&M University, where he has taught since 2008. He previously taught at Florida International University and served as a research professor at Hanyang University in Korea, and conducted postdoctoral research at Purdue University. Prior to his academic career, he had more than a decade of industry experience in engineering, construction and information technology.

Dr. Ryoo earned a Ph.D. in Construction Engineering and Management and a Master of Science in Construction Management and Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Yonsei University, Korea.

Central shop area in CTAC will honor Gray Manufacturing

kheier — Thu, 01 Feb 2024 18:20:29 +0000

Dr. Lenny Klaver, president, NCMC; Pete Gray, CEO, Gray Manufacturing; Dr. Elizabeth Kennedy, president, ��ý Western; and Stet Schanze, president, Gray Manufacturing.

Feb. 1, 2024–The central shop area in the Convergent Technology Alliance Center (CTAC) that is currently under construction on the campus of ��ý will bear the name of a longtime St. Joseph manufacturer. The Gray Manufacturing Workshop Bay recognizes the St. Joseph company’s early and sustained support of the project.

“We are so grateful that early on, Gray Manufacturing recognized the transformative impact this facility will have on workforce development in the region and pledged their support to the CTAC project when it was little more than an idea,” said Dr. Elizabeth Kennedy, ��ý Western’s president. “That early commitment laid the foundation for a successful project, demonstrating our seriousness of purpose and encouraging other businesses to contribute.”

CTAC, currently under construction on ��ý Western’s campus, is a partnership with North Central ��ý College to serve workforce development needs in skilled manufacturing, construction and related industries.

Pete Gray, CEO and chairman of the board, Gray Manufacturing, at an event on the factory floor Feb. 1.

“CTAC may be the most impactful public/private partnership project this community has seen in workforce development,” said Pete Gray, CEO of Gray Manufacturing. “The hands-on learning experiences and the applied learning in a lab setting is exactly what our community desperately needs.”

Gray Manufacturing contributed $500,000 to the project, but the support goes beyond financial, said Marc Archambault, ��ý Western’s vice president for advancement and executive director of the MWSU Foundation.

“Pete Gray was a great ambassador for this project from the beginning, meeting with other business leaders and helping them see our vision,” Archambault said. “Gray Manufacturing and our other corporate partners are also closely involved in advising us about equipment purchases and course delivery methods to help ensure that the education that takes place in CTAC is directly relevant to the workforce needs of today.”

Stet Schanze, Gray Manufacturing president, describes a new robotic welder that has dramatically increased the factory’s capacity.

Stet Schanze, Gray Manufacturing president, described the company’s investment in a state-of-the art large parts robotic welder that increased manufacturing capacity by 42%.

“All of this technology means nothing if we don’t have the skilled workforce to run it,” Schanze said. “The welders who operate this machine need to be skilled in welding process, metal property knowledge, robotic programming abilities, computer software skills, mathematical skills and ability to read engineering blueprints, just to name a few. These are the skills that CTAC will build in our workforce.”

The $12 million project is expected to open in Fall 2024. Funding has been provided by ��ý Western, NCMC, the State of ��ý, the City of St. Joseph, Buchanan County and several local businesses.

MO-RISE brings together STEM students, alumni and employers

kheier — Thu, 09 Mar 2023 14:35:20 +0000

March 9, 2023–Students and alumni of STEM programs at ��ý will have an opportunity to network with employers at MO-RISE, the annual ��ý Regional Industrial Science and Engineering Networking and Employment Event, at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 14 in the Fulkerson Center.

The event will begin with a social time at 5:30. At 6, the program will start with welcoming remarks and roundtable discussion sessions featuring regional employers of graduates in science, technology, engineering and math fields. The event will conclude with networking time from 6:45 to 8 p.m.

The event is free for students, alumni, employers and graduate school recruiters, with paid sponsorship opportunities for employers.

For more information, visit the MO-RISE website at , or contact Dr. Michael Ducey, vice provost and director of the Griffon Office of Applied Learning, at (816) 271-4391 or ducey@missouriwestern.edu.

Super Science Saturday at ��ý Western Jan. 28

kheier — Tue, 24 Jan 2023 18:31:18 +0000

Participants gather in Remington Hall for the chemistry demonstration finale during a past Super Science Saturday. Photo courtesy St. Joseph Museums.

Jan. 24, 2023–��ý and the St. Joseph Museums will host the 23rd annual Super Science Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28 Admission is $5 for adults and children over 5. Children 5 and under are admitted free.

Science educators from ��ý Western and area high schools will present STEM-related activities and demonstrations in math, physics, chemistry, biology, meteorology, psychology, engineering technology, nursing and more. The Griffon Mobile Lab will offer hands-on experiments in the parking lot.

Other presenters include the Remington Nature Center, News-Press Now, and American Water.

Tickets can be purchased at the door, or in advance at .

Elementary students build bridge in Engineering Technology

kheier — Tue, 04 Oct 2022 21:40:01 +0000

Avenue City Elementary gifted students visited the Engineering Technology Department at ��ý on Monday, Oct. 3. Their challenge was to build a bridge in 45 minutes. Students measured, cut, and assembled a bridge in record time. Thanks to teacher Carol Williams from the Avenue City School District for bringing her students to our labs and constructing a hands-on activity.

News-Press NOW: Link leaving ��ý Veterans Commission for federal job

kheier — Wed, 22 Apr 2020 14:56:11 +0000

A woman with St. Joseph ties is stepping down as the executive director of the ��ý Veterans Commission for a new role at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Veterans commissioners accepted Col. Grace Link’s resignation, which is effective May 31, during an executive session meeting on Tuesday night and appointed ��ý Veterans Commission Deputy Director Ryon Richmond as the interim executive director effective June 1.

Link graduated from ��ý with a bachelor’s degree in engineering technology. .

MO-RISE 2019 provides STEM networking opportunities

kheier — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 20:28:00 +0000

Feb. 25, 2019—The annual ��ý Regional Industrial Science and Engineering (MO-RISE) networking event will be held from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 28 in the atrium of Remington Hall on the campus of ��ý. More than 200 people have registered to attend, including almost 70 employers.

Students will have the opportunity to meet and network with STEM professionals from across the region for an evening focused on employment, preparing to enter the STEM workforce and professional networking.

There will be a social time with light appetizers starting at 5:30 p.m., followed by panel discussion breakout sessions with regional employers of scientists and engineers from 6 to 7 p.m., and networking time from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

MO-RISE 2019 is presented in cooperation with the Innovation Stockyard and the ��ý Western Career Development Center.

Admission is free and open to all students. Visit to register.

��ý is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. ��ý Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

��ý Western offers STEM activities at Sound of Speed air show

kheier — Fri, 24 Aug 2018 14:09:50 +0000

Faculty and staff from ��ý’s various STEM programs will be on site at the Sound of Speed Airshow Aug. 25 and 26 with experiments and hands-on activities related to science, technology, engineering and math.

Exhibits that connect flight and aviation to nature and biology include “The Nature of Flight,” which demonstrates wing structure-function, airflow dynamics and flight mechanics in nature. Guests can examine wing structures under microscopes or observe airflow around various types of stationary and mobile wing structure models.Other displays illustrate the environmental and conservation aspects of airstrips and how structures in the plant world spread seeds of using aerodynamic principles.

There will also be a life-sized Periodic Table of the Elements. This 8-foot by 30-foot interactive structure features common items that contain each element within its massive display space. Visitors can also learn how to do math calculations on a giant abacus, build their own electronic circuit, launch rockets and more.

The hands-on activities are a collaborative effort between ��ý Western’s Department of Chemistry; Department of Biology; Department of Computer Science, Math and Physics; and Department of Engineering Technology. ��ý Western offers a wide range of STEM-related educational events throughout the year, including:

Super Science Saturday. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Jan. 26, 2019, Remington Hall
Feb. 2, 2019, Remington Hall.
Mid-America Regional Science and Engineering Fair (MARSEF). March 22, 2019, Remington Hall
��ý Junior Academy of Science. March 22, 2019, Remington Hall
Industrial Technology Day. 7:30 a.m.-2 p.m. April 26, 2019, Looney Arena
Annual Plant Sale. April 26-27, 2019, Remington Hall
June 8, 2019, Remington Nature Center

A full list of STEM-related educational programs is located at .