R&D Takes Shape at USM Engineering

More than 35 years ago, the Maine Legislature appropriated nearly $500,000 for construction of a facility on USM’s Gorham campus to support the education of industrial arts and technology teachers. That facility, which today as the John Mitchell Center also houses USM’s engineering program, has again received nearly $500,000 in state funding. This time, the appropriation by the Legislature will support Maine’s emerging R&D initiative.

With those funds, the USM School of Applied Science has just completed a renovation of Department of Engineering laboratories and classrooms. Completion of the project will be celebrated with a public open house, scheduled from 3 to 6 p.m., Friday, November 17.

The newly renovated space features an updated microelectronics lab, where faculty maximize performance of chips, and a microfabrication lab to test the design of chips and experiment with such newer technologies as the micromachining of silicon.
The space also includes a digital image processing lab, in which researchers improve medical imaging technology by converting information from medical samples into higher-quality pictorial form.

There is also new space for robotics research to develop software that simulates and controls the motion of robots used in a range of manufacturing processes.

In addition, there is space for further development of a computer network and Web sites that allow Maine’s K-12 teachers and parents to share information on assessment of student performance, as outlined in the Maine Learning Results.

“Our Department of Engineering was established 12 years ago in direct response to the business community’s need for access to high-level science and technology programs,” said John Wright, dean of the School of Applied Science. “The completion of this first major renovation project allows our engineering faculty to become even more responsive to the economic and educational needs of Maine.”

“Thanks to the support of Governor King and the Legislature, USM, with this project, has taken a significant step toward upgrading our research laboratories and programs,” said USM President Richard L. Pattenaude. “We still have work to do in advancing Maine’s research and development capacity,” said Pattenaude, noting that this spring USM will break ground for a $10 million research addition dedicated to the biosciences. “We’re building a foundation on which to strengthen Maine's research infrastructure for the benefit of all our citizens.”

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