Ohio State Lima, Ford establish engineering education and manufacturing center
The Ohio State University at Lima and the Ford Lima Engine Plant announced a partnership to establish the Ohio State Lima Engineering Education and Manufacturing Center (EEMC) at Ford Lima Engine Plant Training Center today. The new center will revitalize the existing training area at Ford to provide learning and laboratory experiences for students in Ohio State’s Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology (BSET) program.
“This partnership will prepare students to immediately contribute to the 21st century manufacturing engineering jobs in our region upon graduation,” said Tim Rehner, dean and director at Ohio State Lima. “The EEMC will integrate academia and industry by bringing both systems together in one space. Students will benefit from having easy access to a resource-rich space that is informed by the best from manufacturing systems and academic discoveries.”
The 40,000-square-foot EEMC will house learning and laboratory courses beginning in Autumn 2021. This renovated space will provide students with state-of-the-art hands-on experiences involving metrology, materials, machining, assembly, robotics, industrial controls, and CAD/CAM. Originally built in 1994 to address local training needs, the facility is poised to provide critical space for an in-demand program.
“We’re eager to transform this space and ultimately the advanced manufacturing landscape in this region,” said Shawn Stewart, plant manager at the Ford Lima Engine Plant. “The EEMC will establish west central and northwest Ohio as the hub for manufacturing engineers in the region and the model for manufacturing engineering education.”
Ohio State launched the BSET in Autumn 2020 on three of Ohio State’s regional campuses, including Ohio State Lima. This unique degree was developed to address the gap between education and industry and focuses on industrial manufacturing leadership development. The program integrates teaching and learning with industry examples, laboratory equipment and manufacturing experts as faculty and mentors.
“Having young, educated, and talented engineers who design and operate our region’s world-class manufacturing plants is essential to long-term competitiveness and economic development,” said David Berger, mayor of the City of Lima and chair of the Lima Auto Task Force. “I applaud the collaboration between the Lima Ford Engine Plant and The Ohio State University at Lima which is creating the opportunity for showcasing a unique four-year engineering program to fill critical human resource needs for our local industries.”
For more information about the BSET program, admissions process, and available scholarships, visit go.osu.edu/bsetlima. Orientation begins in June and scholarships are still available for Autumn 2021.
by Ohio State Lima communications staff
