Gateway Receives Prestigious National Science Foundation Grant

Gateway Community & Technical College has received $180,000 from the National Science Foundation, which they will use to advance their automotive technology program.

Gateway received the $180,000 as a part of an overall $5.5 million grant that was presented to the Kentucky Community and Technical College System. The grant was the largest, nationally competitive, unrestricted grant in KCTCS history, according to KCTCS President Michael B. McCall.

The grant was awarded by the NSF as an effort to strengthen the proficiency and global competitiveness of the automotive manufacturing workforce.

Gateway will use the funds to purchase equipment, which will be placed in the transportation technology lab. Equipment will allow students to practice automotive technology skills in a real-world setting.

This will enable Gateway to increase the capability of the transportation technology program by allowing more entry-level students to utilize the training equipment, said Sam Collier, chair and assistant professor of automotive technology. The lab will also be open to secondary and post-secondary educators as an opportunity to advance their knowledge.

These simulators will now give us the opportunity to teach entry-level students the skills necessary because they don't have to worry about crashing a real car, Collier said. The grant will allow us a chance to highlight our work at a national level.

For more information, please contact Sam Collier, Chair, Assistant Professor, Toyota T-TEN Coordinator, at (859) 442-1146, or Amber Decker, Director of Grants and Contracts, at (859) 442-1147.