USM, U.S. Military Engineer Investigation and Progress Heart Indication 5-12 months Schooling Partnership Agreement

Fri,
09/01/2023 – 03:32pm | By: Van Arnold

An schooling partnership arrangement in between The University of Southern Mississippi
(USM) and the U.S. Army Engineer Investigation and Development Center (ERDC) creates a
transformative pathway for scientific collaboration between two of the state’s research
leaders.

USM President Joseph S. Paul and ERDC Director Dr. David W. Pittman ended up on hand to
indication the official Memorandum of Comprehension (MOU) throughout a unique ceremony held
Friday, Sept. 1 on the Hattiesburg campus. The agreement establishes the foundation for
mutual comprehension and cooperation among USM and the ERDC in the implementation
of a Partnership in Schooling system.

This signing expands an preliminary agreement amongst USM and ERDC in 2018. The supportive
connection is founded in recognition of the value of science and technologies
schooling to the long term political and economic very well-becoming of the nation as properly as
the importance of the USM to the organization, industrial and authorities institutions
in this area.

“Today’s five-yr settlement allows us to further more grow actually synergistic chances
by way of our partnership, together with enhancing our cooperative instructional collaborations
where by we are leveraging our college experience and growing obtain and engagement
for our college students, both of those undergraduate and graduate students,” mentioned Paul.

He extra: “This agreement focuses on some of our biggest institutional strengths in Science,
Technology, Engineering and Arithmetic, including our packages in polymer science
& engineering, ocean science engineering, pc science and engineering, chemistry,
environmental scientific tests and additional.”

Established in 1998, the U.S. Army Engineer Exploration and Improvement Middle is one particular
of the premier engineering and scientific analysis businesses in the earth. As
the investigate group of the U.S. Military Corps of Engineers, ERDC conducts study
and advancement in aid of the soldier, navy installations, and civil operates
initiatives (water assets, environmental missions, etcetera.) as nicely as for other federal
businesses, point out and municipal authorities, and with U.S. market by ground breaking
perform agreements. 

ERDC Director Dr. David Pittman pointed out that the center employs somewhere around
80 USM graduates. Seventy have been hired in the past four a long time.

“That’s the third biggest number of alumni we have at ERDC,” said Pittman. “We have
$30 million in collaborative analysis and progress funding with USM and that is
selection four of all the universities we’re operating with in the United States. You are
constructing the ideal kind of person that we will need – engineers, researchers, administrative
personnel.”

Added Pittman: “I’m so proud to be here right now symbolizing the ERDC team, the Army
Corps of Engineers, 30,000 persons powerful, with a all over the world mission. We’re likely to
do some great things with each other.”

The purpose of this partnership is to encourage and improve study in the scientific
disciplines of Science, Know-how, Engineering and Arithmetic (STEM), like, but not constrained
to the adhering to: 

1. Polymer Science and Engineering,
2. Laptop or computer Sciences,
3. Geology and Geophysics,
4. Ocean Science and Engineering,
5. Chemistry and Environmental Sciences,

“At Southern Miss we are deeply fully commited to currently being exclusive and adding worth by means of
our educational and investigation offerings, and developing graduates who are prepared for everyday living,”
mentioned Paul. “This partnership lets us to do just that, and we are deeply grateful.”