NCNGM at the 2024 ATE PI Conference

Pictured: The National Science Foundation ATE Central awarded these students the NSF ATE Student/Alumni Recognition Award. The National Science Foundation (NSF) funded National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing is proud to have attended the 2024 NSF ATE Principal Investigators (PI) Conference from October 23rd to 25th, 2024. The NSF's Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program supports the development of innovative approaches for educating highly skilled technicians for the industries that drive the nation's economy. This conference celebrated our achievements, a chance to engage with our fellow ATE center and project PIs and representatives, and a commendation of nominated students with the prestigious NSF ATE Student Recognition Award.

There were preconference workshops and sessions on Wednesday, several of which our NCNGM Executive Director and Principal Investigator helped facilitate. They focused on helping principal investigators new to the NSF ATE program learn about what a special community the NSF ATE program has, discuss the focus of their projects, and network with NSF staff and fellow grantees.

Pictured Left to Right: Shalin Jyotishi, Founder and Managing Director Future of Work and Innovation Economy Initiative New America Foundation, DC; Aaron Burciaga, Co-Founder Chairman & CEO PrimeAI, VA; Dr. Christine Benz, Director Services TRUMPF Inc., CT; and Dr. Victor McCrary, Vice Chair, National Science Board and Vice President for Research, University of the District of Columbia, DC. On Wednesday, we witnessed the "AI and the Future of Work" keynote panel featuring experienced industry and management panelists at the forefront of integrating AI into their respective fields. The discussion, moderated by Dr. Victor McCrary, Vice Chair of the National Science Board and Vice President for Research at the University of the District of Columbia, was informative as we were given multiple perspectives on what AI can accomplish and what utilizing it in the workforce will look like. We were also provided insight into how AI is currently used in the manufacturing sector and how to teach our future workforce, aka our students, with an up-to-date curriculum regarding AI usage.

Pictured Left to Right: Connecticut State Community College Students Alissa Pace, Celit Flores Egusquiza, Amelia Kearney; Dr. Christine Benz, TRUMPF Inc., Dr. Karen Wosczyna-Birch, NCNGM; CT State Student Diego Angeles, and Dr. V. Celeste Carter, NSF ATE Program Director. Student award recipients had the opportunity to participate in an industry networking session and tour the Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum. There were also opportunities to see some of the city’s important landmarks, such as the White House, the Washington Monument, the U.S. Capitol Building, and other monuments and memorials in the DC Mall. These students were nominated for the award by leadership from NSF ATE grants at their community colleges. Six Connecticut State Community College students and one Central Community College student were able to attend thanks to NSF ATE grants.

A depiction of the women and men manufacturing airplanes during the Second World War at the Washington DC World War II Memorial.

Celit Flores Egusquiza and Amelia Kearney, Connecticut State Community College Tunxis students, discuss their international projects with conference attendees.  

Pierce Campbell and Zachery Gioia, Connecticut Community College Northwestern students, engage with a crowd of conference attendees. Students from partner community colleges presented their projects during the student poster session. Each student had unique and insightful projects that further their understanding of the field of work they will be pursuing. A comment from one of our students, Amelia Kearney, follows: "The ATE Principal Investigators Conference provided me with an opportunity to connect with other students involved in similar fields and connect with different industries. The networking session helped strengthen both my networking and interview skills and I was able to learn a lot of helpful information for my future academic and professional career. One of my favorite parts of the conference was the student poster session, where I got to share the project that I worked on over the summer, because it allowed me to meet so many interesting people and have really meaningful conversations." 

Amelia Kearney, Connecticut State Community College, Tunxis.

Alissa Pace and Diego Angeles of Connecticut State Community College Manchester discuss with CT State Manchester faculty member Professor Mehrdäd Fäézi and Dr. Christine Benz of TRUMPF Inc. regarding their MET2 project.

Karl Anderson, Director of Injection Molding, with student Carlos Gastelum of Central Community College and Doug Pauley, the Associate Dean of Community and Workforce Education at Central Community College.

Many conference sessions were informative on ATE centers' and projects' best practices, including those in advanced manufacturing. We experienced 360-degree learning, an interactive approach that draws more engagement from various industries in the classroom and applies real-world scenarios from those workplaces. This approach allows students to actively identify what sectors or positions they are drawn towards or not drawn towards, empowering them to make a more informed decision about their future in the workforce. Recite-XR presented this through their partnership with Careerview XR, a site that hosts and creates 360 XR experiences to showcase many career fields.

Pictured left to right: Wendy Robicheau and Dr. Karen Wosczyna-Birch of the National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing.

Another example of our activities was the panels and information sessions hosted by the NCNGM Principal Investigator, Co-Principal Investigators, and staff. Dr. Karen Wosczyna-Birch (NCNGM PI and Executive Director) and Wendy Robicheau (Assistant Director) presented the Top 5 Trends for AI Technology in Advanced Manufacturing to an eager audience with Bluetooth headphones. An excellent idea for meeting spaces in the middle of the exhibit hall surrounded by our ATE Center peers.

Jerry Muller of Central Community College engages with the attendees at the panel.

NCNGM Co-Principal Investigator Jerry Muller presented a panel on Central Community College's" Hands-On Mechatronics in High Schools Professional Development Opportunity." Doug Pauley, Doug Laven, and Dr. Karen Wosczyna-Birch joined him in discussing and explaining the high-demand mechatronics workshop. Refer to the open application for the mechatronics professional development workshops here.

Pictured left to right:  Jerry Muller, Doug Laven, and Doug Pauley.

Lastly, our Executive Director & Principal Investigator, Dr. Karen Wosczyna-Birch, and Co-Principal Investigators Jerry Muller and Tim Baber led a breakout discussion on Building the NSF ATE Advanced Manufacturing Community. This session was designed to provide a platform for attendees to network, discuss, and reach potential conclusions regarding best practices and strategies for advanced manufacturing programming and education to the workforce pipeline.

Dr. Christine Benz, TRUMPF Inc, Dr. Karen Woscyna-Birch, and Dr. V. Celeste Carter.

We would also like to thank our Connecticut partners, educators, and students for attending, featured in the above photo:

Top left to right:

Mehrdäd Fäézi, Professor, Connecticut State Community College Manchester and Principal Investigator, CICSTART Program

Alissa Pace, Student, Connecticut State Community College Manchester

Amelia Kearney, Student, Connecticut State Community College Tunxis

Diego Angeles, Student, Connecticut State Community College Manchester

Zachary Gioia, Student, Connecticut State Community College Northwestern

Pierce Campbell, Student, Connecticut State Community College Northwestern

Douglas Mooney, Assistant Professor, Connecticut State Community College Northwestern

Eric Flynn, Professor Connecticut State Community College Gateway and Co-PI Principal Investigator, CICSTART Program

Bottom left to right:

Diane Dostie, External Evaluator, National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing (NCNGM)

Marco Taverner, Community Engagement Coordinator, NCNGM Paul Tymann, Program Director NSF

Dr. Karen Woscyna-Birch, PI and Director NCNGM

Dr. V. Celeste Carter, ATE Lead Program Director

Sharon Gusky, PI ATE Grant Engaging Students From Classrooms and Camps to College and Advanced Technological Careers and Professor, Connecticut State Community College, Northwestern.

Dr. Christine Benz, Director Services, TRUMPF Inc.

Wendy Robicheau, Assistant Director, NCNGM Also, many thanks to NCNGM affiliated staff, partners, educators, and students who attended our reunion dinner before the conference!

Pictured: Karen Wosczyna-Birch – Executive Director & Principal Investigator, National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing and Executive Director, Connecticut College of Technology

Wendy Robicheau – Assistant Director, National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing

Mehrdäd Fäézi – Professor, Connecticut State Community College Manchester and Principal Investigator, CICSTART Program

Eric Flynn - Professor, Connecticut State Community College Gateway and Co-Principal Investigator, CICSTART Program

Jerry Muller - Industrial Trainer/Coordinator and Mechatronics Adjunct Instructor, Central Community College and Co-PI, National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing

Doug Pauley - Associate Dean of Community and Workforce Education, Central Community College & Senior Personnel, National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing

Carlos Gastelum – Alumni, Central Community College, Nebraska and Project Engineer, Becton Dickinson

Karl Anderson - Plastic Injection Molding Director/Instructor Central Community College

Marni Danhauer – Dean of Community and Workforce Education, Central Community College

Tim Baber – Department Chair, Manufacturing Technology, College of the Canyons and Co-PI, National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing

Debbie Hecht – External Evaluator for the National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing

Amelia Kearney – Student, Connecticut State Community College Tunxis

Celit Flores Egusquiza - Student, Connecticut State Community College Tunxis

Alissa Pace – Student, Connecticut State Community College Manchester

Diego Angeles - Student, Connecticut State Community College Manchester Not pictured: Ann Beheler – Consultant for Business and Industry Leadership Team Model for the National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing Marco Taverner – Community Engagement Coordinator, National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing Photo credits to the National Center of Next Generation Manufacturing and the American Association of Community Colleges Flickr albums.