January 29, 2025

An open house and ribbon cutting ceremony took place Jan. 29 at The Communiversity to highlight a partnership between East Mississippi Community College and Mississippi State University to provide new workforce services to industries and additional training opportunities to area residents.

Dubbed the “Grand Opening of MSU at The Communiversity,” the ribbon cutting is the culmination of work to incorporate some MSU advanced manufacturing and workforce development programs that complement efforts already under way at The Communiversity, a 145,638-square-foot facility that operates under EMCC’s umbrella.

The new amenities at The Communiversity unveiled at the event include the Advancements in Manufacturing Upskilling Program, or AiM UP initiative, the Mississippi Advanced Composites Training Center, and MSU’S CAVS Extension Center.

At the event, EMCC President Dr. Scott Alsobrooks and MSU President Dr. Mark E. Keenum signed a memorandum of understanding sealing the partnership for AiM UP and cut a ceremonial ribbon for the program. Attendees included EMCC administrators and members of the college’s Board of Trustees. Officials from MSU’s various departments were also in attendance, as were area elected officials and industry leaders.

Alsobrooks said the partnership between EMCC and MSU will allow training opportunities at The Communiversity not available at most community colleges.

“Through this partnership with Mississippi State University we will be able to provide additional cutting-edge training and services to industries that are far beyond the scope of what is typically offered at the community college level,” Alsobrooks said. “This is a win not only for our area residents but also for industries throughout our region that will reap the benefits.”

Keenum said the partnership dovetails with the collaborative culture fostered at MSU and spoke of the educational opportunities at The Communiversity.

“This is a wonderful facility — a training facility, a research facility — right here in the Golden Triangle of Mississippi and we are so proud to be a part of this with East Mississippi Community College and all the important work they are doing in training our current and future workforce,” Keenum said.

The Communiversity is dedicated to workforce training and offers for-credit programs of study related to advanced manufacturing, as well as non-credit training for local industries’ employees.

A reception followed the ribbon cutting and members of the public toured the new programs, which are highlighted below.

AiM UP

EMCC and MSU partnered to open a lab at The Communiversity to showcase robots that work alongside humans through AiM UP.

The AiM UP initiative exposes industry leaders to opportunities for streamlining processes through technological advancements in the robotics industry. Manufacturers who adopt the new technologies will provide employment opportunities for students at The Communiversity enrolled in programs such as Mechatronics Technology and Systems Based Automation.

The Communiversity serves as the host site for the lab operated by MSU’s Bagley College of Engineering and the Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems, or CAVS.

The AiM UP robots, referred to as cobots because of their collaboration with humans, are automated arms that perform repetitive tasks, freeing up employees to concentrate on tasks that require more advanced skills. The arms can be equipped with different heads for use in tasks such as material handling, quality inspection and welding, to name a few. Unlike their predecessors that required manual computer programming, operators can program the latest generation of robot arms by moving them along a desired path while designating task waypoints.

Industry leaders will be able to view the cobots in action and interact with them to help them decide if the technology would enhance their productivity.

Future phases will include autonomous mobile robots and establishing an automated manufacturing process, which begins with the delivery of raw materials, production of parts, as well as packaging and delivery of the completed product. The final phase will consist of advanced 3D printing techniques to assemble end effectors that perform different tasks that can be attached to simulate retooling.

Training on the new technologies will also be implemented in EMCC’s Mechatronics program.

Mississippi Advanced Composites Training Center

EMCC and Mississippi State University’s Advanced Composites Institute partnered to open the Mississippi Advanced Composites (MAC) Training Center at The Communiversity.

EMCC already offered industry training in composites, which are often used in airplanes to reduce weight and increase cargo capacity. MSU’s Advanced Composites Institute also provides training in composites. Industry training in composites is now offered through both agencies in the combined Mississippi Advanced Composites Training Center at The Communiversity.

 Industries that utilize composites in manufacturing processes can send employees to the training center, which was previously taking place at EMCC on a smaller scale. Aviation industries in the Golden Triangle area include Stark Aerospace, Aurora Flight Sciences and Airbus Helicopters.

Some of that training is already taking place, with the inaugural group of students completing an Advanced Composites Technician course in September of last year.

Partners in the project include Northrop Grumman, Spirit Aerosystems, Aurora Flight Sciences, a Boeing company, and GE Aerospace, to name a few.

Some equipment from MSU’s Advanced Composites Institute was moved to The Communiversity, which received a $1.5 million grant from AccelerateMS to purchase additional equipment for the lab capable of producing parts that meet stringent aviation standards.

Equipment at the composites lab includes a Gerber laser system for precision measuring and cutting, an autoclave for curing to commercial-grade standards, and a clean room that includes an air infiltration system and sticky floors, equipment not available in the region outside of a manufacturing facility.

The new equipment provides industries that utilize composites opportunities for employee training that were not previously available in the region.

MSU CAVS Extension Center

EMCC is providing office space at The Communiversity for MSU’s CAVS Extension center, which is another unit within CAVS that provides engineering services and professional development training to industry throughout the state. 

CAVS Extension is headquartered in Canton, with offices in Starkville and Biloxi. Among other things, CAVS Extension provides manufacturers with technical expertise in the areas of product and process improvement, advanced engineering tools, and state-of-the-art industry 4.0 initiatives. Those services include assistance with site master planning, technical assistance projects and access to advanced engineering tools, concepts, and facility simulation modeling.