Alfred State College (ASC) is delighted to announce that it has received a $2.1 million grant from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation in support of two new in-demand academic associate degree programs. The new programs – in mechatronics technology and agricultural automation and robotics – were added at ASC this fall.
The grant is a part of a $7.5 million total investment in the two programs over the next three years and includes new funding for faculty support, specialized equipment and state-of-the art labs, gap funding for low-income students, and enhanced student academic success programs.
Both programs were developed in direct response to high industry demand. Manufacturers in western New York have continued to stress the need for mechatronics, while agricultural automation industry representatives indicate a pressing need for skilled installers and technicians to run and maintain increasingly complex new agricultural automation technologies.
Dr. Skip Sullivan, president of Alfred State, said, “We are extremely grateful to The Wilson Foundation for providing this grant and supporting our two new programs. From exceptional applied learning labs, to assisting low-income students, to helping employers fill in-demand jobs, so much is made possible by this grant, and we thank the Wilson Foundation for its incredible generosity.”
Dr. Kristin Poppo, provost at Alfred State, said, “The Wilson Foundation grant supports an unprecedented investment in equipment for laboratories and need-based scholarships for students in associate degree programs that employers have asked us to build. This grant will support Alfred State’s ability to transform lives while strengthening the western New York economy.”
Lavea Brachman, vice president of programs at the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, said, “These programs will address current and future skills gaps in growing industry sectors, providing pathways to the higher-paying jobs of today and tomorrow that post-secondary education and training like this make possible. The Foundation is proud to support these innovative programs and to partner with Alfred State to prepare a next generation of workers and meet employer needs.”
