Kent State University celebrated the opening of its new Digital Engineering & Design Center for Space Applications (DEDC Space@Kent) on Oct. 16, marking a significant step in bridging the gap between education and national needs in aerospace and defense manufacturing.
The College of Aeronautics and Engineering launched the center funded by the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM) and in collaboration with the University of Texas at El Paso Aerospace Center. This initiative responds to the growing demand for professionals skilled in digital engineering across the nation.
"The DEDC Space@Kent represents a significant step forward in engineering education and workforce development," said Christina Bloebaum, Ph.D., dean of the College of Aeronautics and Engineering. "We're preparing students to lead the future of aerospace and defense manufacturing."
Led by Joycelyn Harrison, Ph.D., the associate dean, and a team of faculty from the college, the center is already fully operational and engaged in advanced projects. Ten students have been hired and are currently working in the state-of-the-art facility, gaining practical experience in digital engineering projects. These students had the opportunity to present their work to representatives from Congressman Dave Joyce’s office at the opening, demonstrating the immediate impact of the center's hands-on learning approach.
"Seeing our students already at work in this facility is incredibly exciting," Harrison said. "We're not just addressing a future skills gap; we're actively closing it right now. As veteran professionals in aerospace and defense retire, these students are preparing to step into crucial roles with the digital engineering skills that the nation desperately needs."
The center's approach to digital engineering creates a comprehensive, accessible digital blueprint for the entire lifecycle of highly complex aerospace and defense systems. Students work from a concept to design, manufacturing, testing and refinement in digital environments, before a physical prototype of a system is ever built. This methodology will lead to the creation of high fidelity “digital twins” that accelerate development cycle times while reducing cost and that will enable automated and distributed manufacturing of aerospace systems.
The center exemplifies Kent State’s commitment to innovative and future-focused education and research. "This center is foundational in our mission to prepare students for the evolving demands of aerospace and defense industries," said Dean Bloebaum. By combining cutting-edge technology with hands-on learning, the college is equipping graduates to become leaders in digital engineering and drive technological advancements. “DEDC Space@Kent represents our investment in not just the future of our students, but the future of U.S. superiority in aerospace and defense. "
About NCDMM
NCDMM delivers innovative and collaborative manufacturing solutions that enhance our nation’s workforce and economic competitiveness. NCDMM has extensive knowledge and depth in commercial and defense manufacturing areas to continually innovate, improve, and advance manufacturing technologies and methodologies. Our experienced team specializes in identifying the needs, players, technologies, and processes to attain optimal solutions for our customers. We connect the dots. That’s the NCDMM methodology. NCDMM also manages America Makes, AMARII, AMIIC, and El Paso Makes, and is a subsidiary of the Manufacturing Technology Deployment Group, Inc..