DENSO North America Foundation Awards Nearly $200,000 to Expand Hands-On Engineering Opportunities
Cal Poly Pomona's College of Engineering has received a $198,100 grant from the DENSO North America Foundation (DNAF) to expand access to advanced manufacturing tools and hands-on project experiences for engineering students.
The grant helps fund the college's BEYOND Initiative, which aims to support primarily extracurricular hands-on engineering opportunities present in student clubs and competition teams. Central to the initiative is building a suite of advanced manufacturing equipment that gives students access to the same industrial-grade tools shaping the engineering profession.
That includes two significant additions to the college's capabilities: a large-scale carbon fiber 3D printer and an industrial multi-material printer capable of printing in metals, ceramics and high-performance polymers.
Together, the two machines give students hands-on experience with fabrication technologies that are standard in industry but rarely accessible at the undergraduate level. Both printers are expected to serve upwards of 200 students annually across the college's competition teams.
“At DENSO, we believe that investing in education is investing in the future of mobility,” said Marty Deschenes, president of DNAF and executive vice president and chief manufacturing officer for DENSO in North America. “By supporting universities across North America, we’re helping students unlock their potential and drive innovation in STEM fields that are critical to our industry’s growth and transformation.”
Andrew Ketsdever, dean for the College of Engineering, adds, "Our students learn the fundamentals in the classroom, but it's in the clubs, the competition teams, the late nights building something that doesn't quite work yet—that's where engineers are made. This grant makes more of that possible for more students."
The DENSO North America Foundation, the philanthropic arm of global automotive supplier DENSO, funds programs that advance education in science, technology, engineering and math.