FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Norfolk, Va. – GENEDGE, a business consulting organization providing Virginia’s industrial and manufacturing sectors access to expert business solutions, will invest $250,000 over the next five years in the Engineering Makerspace and Invention Center (EMIC) in Old Dominion University’s Batten College of Engineering and Technology.
“This partnership with GENEDGE is a win for our students,” ODU President John R. Broderick said. “Old Dominion is proud to make such a unique space available where our student engineers can develop everything from innovations in medical technology and advanced manufacturing to breakthroughs in artificial intelligence. Without partners like GENEDGE we could not offer the real-world components to prepare students to compete in technical fields nationally and globally.”
“GENEDGE works with manufacturing, engineering, and technology firms across the state and we are committed to investing in the future of Hampton Roads,” GENEDGE President and Executive Director Bill Donohue said. “We are proud to support the Engineering Makerspace and Invention Center at Old Dominion University to provide resources to inspire the students’ and the College’s ingenuity.”
The EMIC, located on the second floor of Monarch Hall, is a 7,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility where students collaborate on the ideation, design, prototyping, and refinement of practical solutions to real-world challenges.
“We are excited to have GENEDGE help us advance the core mission of the College and connect students with practitioners and industry on meaningful projects,” said Ben Stuart, interim dean of the Batten College of Engineering and Technology. “It represents a tremendous investment in our students, which will significantly enhance academic programs and offer our students a distinct advantage as they launch their professional careers.”
The free-to-use space, slated to open in the spring of 2021, promotes interdisciplinary collaboration for students in the College.
“Partnerships with companies like GENEDGE will allow students to work on more projects in the Makerspace. It also provides access to experts in the engineering and manufacturing fields,” said Aric Veatch, an engineering management graduate student who currently serves as the student operations manager for the EMIC.
Through the investment from GENEDGE, students will have significantly greater opportunities to advance their skills in hands-on problem-solving for real-world problems.
“Support for the Makerspace from partner companies like GENEDGE is critical for providing hands-on, engaging and real-world learning experiences,” said Dan Genard, associate vice president for University Advancement. “We are grateful to GENEDGE for supporting Old Dominion in preparing Virginia’s next generation of engineers.”
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ODU Contact:
Keith Pierce, APR
Director of Public Affairs and Media Relations
Old Dominion University
Office: 757-683-5005
Cell: 610-405-6373
k1pierce@odu.edu
GENEDGE Contact:
Linda Lancaster
Marketing & Communications Manager
GENEDGE
276-732-4220
llancaster@genedge.org
About GENEDGE:
GENEDGE is Virginia’s best public resource to help manufacturing and industry innovate, compete, and grow. GENEDGE delivers consulting-based expertise and technology transfer to over 200 Virginia companies each year and is part of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership National Network™, which provides access to industry-wide services and proven results-based solutions. For more information, please visit www.genedge.org.
About Old Dominion University:
Old Dominion University is Virginia’s entrepreneurial-minded doctoral research university with more than 24,000 students, rigorous academics, an energetic residential community and initiatives that contribute $2.6 billion annually to the Commonwealth’s economy.