The Center for Materials and Manufacturing Sciences (CMMS) is completed, and a two-day ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for September.
The center, which has a $24.4 million construction budget, was handed over to faculty on July 30. It is the first building on campus completely dedicated to research, specifically polymer science.
“The CMMS will facilitate the emergence of Troy University as a respected research institution,” said Dr. Kerry Palmer, the senior vice chancellor for academic affairs. “As the university matures in this area, programs will be offered in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields that were previously unavailable to our students.”
Dr. Govid Menon, the interim dean of the college of arts and sciences and previously the director of CMMS, said the building exceeded his expectations in every way.
“The attention to detail is fabulous,” Menon said. “Air is being replaced in the CMMS on a continuous basis, so that if you have any harmful gases, the researchers are not exposed to it.
“It is designed to be a research space – the material for the floor and the material for the cabinets are all flame and acid resistant, so it is really top shelf.”
Undergraduate students are encouraged to participate in research projects made possible by the center. They can reach out to Menon or to Dr. Zhi Yong, chair of the chemistry and physics department, to find out how to become involved.
Menon explained the center will increase the academic visibility of the university, increase grant opportunities and provide positions for postdoctoral fellows –researchers who have no teaching obligations.
“Students will also be exposed to what a research institution is like,” Menon said. “Just because we are a smaller institution, we should not be any different from Auburn or Alabama or all the other flagship institutions in this country.”
The largest plastic recycling facility in the world, KNW Plastics, is in Troy, and they are invested in researching new ways to break down and recycle plastics. The center provides opportunities to grow Troy’s current partnership with them and promote interdisciplinary studies.
“Part of the vision for CMMS itself is being open-minded – open to possibilities,” Menon said. “An aspect of science is science policy, particularly when you're talking about the environment and sustainability and recycling.
“A very important feature of this is to spread the word, to get the message across and to connect people, so we would need help from the social sciences, for example, for that component of the center to thrive.”
The ribbon cutting will be a two-day event on September 20 and 21. This will include an academic symposium featuring researchers from the National Institute for Standards and Technology, who helped fund Troy’s CMMS program.
Comments