Collin College Awarded National Science Foundation Grant to Develop Robotic Welding Curriculum

Collin College has been awarded a three-year $446,852 Advanced Technological Education (ATE) grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to develop a robotic welding curriculum at the college’s Technical Campus. The new curriculum will benefit Collin College students, area industries which use automated welding technicians, and, potentially, welding students nationwide if the curriculum is widely adopted.

“The college is thankful for the opportunity to help shape the future of robotic welding training, and I am excited for the curriculum-building process to begin,” said Dr. Neil Matkin, Collin College’s district president. “This is an exciting, growing field within manufacturing, and I believe the training that develops out of this grant will serve as a crucial resource for students and the community.”

The new curriculum will enhance Collin College’s existing robotic welding curriculum to include both simulated and hands-on activities in FANUC-certified robotic welding processes. FANUC is a leading supplier of industrial robotics and automation equipment. The NSF ATE grant will fund specialized faculty training and equipment purchases. Other grant objectives include providing students with the opportunity to attain industry-recognized certifications and cooperation with industry experts who will review curriculum development and student projects to ensure alignment with industry needs.

“We’ll develop it, test it, and get it ready for use over that three-year period,” said Michael Coffman, dean of academic affairs and workforce at the Technical Campus. “At the completion of the grant, the curriculum will be made available to any other community college, university, trade school, or other educational institution that would like to use it.”

Professors Landon LaRocque and Cesar Lopez Maldonado, the primary investigators for the grant, believe the new curriculum is key to supplying welding technicians with training that meets tomorrow’s manufacturing needs as companies shift toward greater automation.

“Technicians skilled in manual welding and FANUC-certified in robotic welding will offer potential employers a broader range of abilities,” LaRocque said. “The additional skills will increase the technician’s value and provide an impetus for companies to consider expanding robotic welding processes because a highly skilled workforce is available to them.”

Email WeldingTechnology@collin.edu for more information about Collin College’s welding programs.

The ATE program focuses on the education of technicians who work in high-tech fields that drive the nation’s economy. Because two-year community and technical colleges are the leading sources of technician education in the United States, faculty from these higher education institutions have had leadership roles in most ATE projects since the program began in 1993.

Collin College serves more than 58,000 credit and continuing education students annually and offers more than 200 degrees and certificates, including a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), a Bachelor of Applied Technology (BAT) in Cybersecurity, a Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) in Construction Management, and a new Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) in Clinical Operations Management. The only public college based in Collin County, Collin College is a partner to business, government, and industry, providing customized training and workforce development. For more information, visit www.collin.edu.

###

Cutline
Photos by SARA CARPENTER
Lead photo: Wyatt Jordan, a welding student at Collin College Technical Campus, practices using the campus’s current automated welding machinery.

Second photo: Welding student Sage Jeffery, Professor Cesar Lopez Maldonado, welding student Wyatt Jordan, and Professor Landon LaRocque stand in front of Collin College’s current automated welder. A grant will allow for the purchase of additional automated welders for student use and curriculum development.