Oak Ridge Today

NSF grant of about $300,000 to support Roane State’s mechatronics program

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

National Science Foundation Mechatronics Grant

Roane State mechatronics program director Gordon Williams, right, works with students at the college’s Clinton Higher Education and Workforce Training Facility. The mechatronics program prepares students for careers in advanced manufacturing. For more information, visit roanestate.edu/mechatronics or contact Williams at (865) 354-3000, ext. 4899, or [email protected]. (Photo by Roane State)

 

By Bob Fowler, Roane State staff writer

Roane State Community College has been awarded a three-year grant to make sure the community college’s mechatronics students have a well-rounded technical education to benefit themselves and their future employers.

The National Science Foundation’s Advanced Technological Education grant is for $299,793. It runs through June 30, 2022.

“A great team got this project off the ground and will keep it moving forward to benefit students,” said Shelley Esquivel, the community college’s grants specialist who submitted the proposal to NSF. [Read more…]

Roane State receives $496,888 grant to enhance distance learning

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Students at Roane State’s Scott County campus take a class using Zoom technology. A nearly half-million-dollar federal grant will allow Roane State to expand its use of Zoom technology to give students more access to classes.

By Bob Fowler, Roane State staff writer

Roane State Community College has received a $496,888 federal grant to improve distance learning opportunities at three of the community college’s most rural campuses.

For the 2018-19 academic year, Roane State invested in Zoom video conferencing technology to replace legacy interactive video systems at each of its campuses. The Zoom technology allows the college to broadcast a class from one campus to students at other locations. Rather than travel to a campus for a course, students can stay close to home and participate through live interactive video.

The Zoom technology, with its 360-degree cameras, created a more natural classroom experience than the college’s previous distance learning system. Classes taught via Zoom can be easily viewed live on any device, and content can be seamlessly uploaded online for students to access on demand. [Read more…]