HUNTSVILLE, Ala — Drake State Community & Technical College announced that it's one of six colleges and universities to win NASA’s Inclusion Across the Nation of Communities of Learners of Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering and Science (INCLUDES) award.
According to the school, INCLUDES awards are made possible through NASA’s Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP) and provide up to $1.2 million for a three-year period.
Other HBCUs receiving grants are Alabama State and Florida A&M. The remaining recipients include Navajo Technical University, University of Massachusetts - Boston, and Texas A&M Kingsville.
From Drake State:
Drake State’s winning proposal builds on the work currently being done by the college’s Frontiers Research Program, which was established in 2020 to support research in additive manufacturing and 3D printing for NASA’s Moon to Mars Planetary Autonomous Construction Technology Project (MMPACT).
“With the significant funding provided by the INCLUDES award Drake State will be able to rapidly grow our research program, the related curriculum development and STEM outreach to middle and high school students,” said Drake State President Dr. Patricia Sims. “It’s rewarding that our focus on meeting workforce needs in aerospace and advanced manufacturing is recognized and valued by NASA.”
In addition to supporting NASA’s MMPACT project, the work being done by Drake State’s Frontiers Research team is expected to lead to innovation and curriculum development that will benefit construction and advanced manufacturing industries in North Alabama and beyond.
The Frontiers team consists of faculty and student interns from the college’s Engineering Design program. “The Frontiers program and other partnerships with local and regional industries create unique and rewarding opportunities for our students,” said Sims. “We’re grateful that our industry partners like NASA and Jacobs as well as our local and state leaders understand the importance of investing in our college and our students.”
