UC Riverside mechanical engineering professor Kavan Hazeli has secured a $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to develop a new approach to engineering education that connects classroom learning with the evolving needs of industry.
The five-year project will support the development of UCR's Advanced & Integrated Manufacturing (AIM) Hub, a newly approved center within the Marlan and Rosemary Bourns College of Engineering. Hazeli serves as the hub's founding director.
The initiative will bring together faculty, students, and industry partners to identify emerging workforce needs and develop hands-on learning opportunities involving technologies such as robotics, automation, and digital engineering.
Over five years, AIM plans to engage at least 25 employers, support approximately 100 undergraduate students through 20 industry-sponsored senior design projects, and create applied research opportunities for 15 master's students.
The funding marks an important step in establishing AIM as a resource for engineering education, applied research, and manufacturing partnerships in the Inland Empire.
Read the full story and learn more about the AIM Hub.