Educators, engineers and electric vehicle manufacturers and proponents will convene at Macomb Community College next week for a two-day conference that explores how higher education can best serve the emerging electric vehicle industry as the push toward fossil fuel alternatives intensifies.
“Electrifying the Economy – Educating the Workforce: Taking Charge of the Electric Vehicle Industry’s Educational Needs” is an outgrowth of the collaboration between Macomb, Wayne State University and NextEnergy, which collectively received a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to develop electric drive vehicle programs at the associate, bachelor’s and master’s degree levels. The conference will be held Tuesday and Wednesday, April 19-20, with the first day dedicated to presentations and panel discussions on the South Campus of Macomb Community College, Warren. The second day will include tours of the Hamtramck Volt and the A123 Systems Livonia Battery plants, during which participants will also be updated on U.S. Department of Energy programs that focus on electric vehicle technology.
There will be morning and evening keynote addresses on April 19: “Michigan and the Electric Vehicle Industry,” with Martin Dober, senior vice president, Michigan Economic Development Corporation, in the morning, and “The Auto Son is Rising,” with David Cole, chairman, Auto Harvest, and chairman emeritus, Center for Automotive Research.
On April 19, panels of experts will also discuss the status of the electric vehicle and utility infrastructure industries and academic programs in electric vehicle technology. Education and industry representatives participating in the panels and presentations include the president and CEO of DTE Energy, director of General Motors Battery Systems, chief engineer of Global Core Electrification Engineering for Ford Motor Company, the chair of the Michigan Academy for Green Mobility Alliance, and deans and professors from the University of Michigan, and Colorado State, Kettering, Michigan Technological, Missouri, West Virginia and Wayne State universities as well as Macomb, City College of San Francisco and Reynolds Community College.
The complete agenda and registration information for the free conference may be found at www.eng.wayne.edu/page, with registrations accepted until the first day of the conference.
About Macomb Community College
Macomb Community College (www.macomb.edu) is one of the nation’s leading community colleges, providing learning experiences to more than 48,000 students annually. Macomb nationally ranks in the top two percent in the number of associate degrees awarded and as the largest grantor of associate degrees in Michigan. The college’s comprehensive educational programming includes pre-collegiate experiences, university transfer and career preparation programs, bachelor degree completion and graduate degree programs, workforce training, professional education and certification, and continuing education and enrichment opportunities.
Media Contact:
Mary Smith
586.445.7997
smithm@macomb.edu