Friday, February 24, marked the official unveiling of the University Of Southern California Viterbi School Of Engineering’s Center for Advanced Manufacturing. Developed by Center Director, Dr. Satyandra K. Gupta, the facility is among the first of its kind in the region, offering students and faculty access to state of the art technology in advanced manufacturing.
Joining Dr. Gupta in welcoming attendees was Viterbi School Dean, Yannis C. Yortsos, and Randy Hall, USC Vice President for Research. Dean Yortsos commended the visionary leadership exemplified by Dr. Gupta in making the Center for Advanced Manufacturing a reality. Setting the stage for Dr. Gupta, Mr. Hall delivered an insightful talk on the convergence of technology as part of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the importance of the research and training that will take place at the Center for Advanced Manufacturing. Closing out the ceremony, Dr. Gupta made a point of discussing the importance of the new wave of advanced manufacturing and its impacts throughout society, from the workforce to the environment.
Attendance was at full capacity with a strong showing of current and former USC students, staff and faculty, as well as local government and industry representatives. During the ribbon cutting ceremony, Field Deputy Fernando Delgado, for Supervisor Hilda Solis, presented a proclamation recognizing the Center. Also in attendance was Business Development Manager for the City of Los Angeles, Adrienne Lindgren.
“The success of tomorrow’s economy depends on how well we prepare our students for it – today,” commented Ms. Lindgren. “Our local university campuses are centers of learning filled with students who have the curiosity, skills, and talent to succeed in L.A.’s increasingly complex advanced manufacturing sector. The Center for Advanced Manufacturing will bring new opportunities to these young people, and become another critical component of LA’s thriving innovation economy.”
Following the ceremony, guests were invited to tour the center and experience the variety of equipment available for research and training. Numerous alumni who are now working for Virgin Galactic, SpaceX and other innovative Southern California firms, were ecstatic to see students mastering the tools and training of the future. Work stations were manned by eager undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students who shared the details of projects using the latest in robotics, 3D printers, and CNC machines. As the event wrapped up, several AMP SoCal staff and partners came together to enjoy the moment, including Dion Jackson, Tomas Duran, James Watson and Ray Elledge. All agreed that the Center for Advanced Manufacturing represented an exciting step towards the future of manufacturing in Southern California.
For more information, please visit: http://cam.usc.edu/