Contact: Phil Hearn
Photo by: Dwight Riddle
STARKVILLE, Miss.--Mississippi State plans to construct a new aerospace engineering center closely linked to defense-related research near the Golden Triangle Regional Airport on land to be donated to the university by a retired California architect.
Wayne Fishback of Simi Valley, Calif., plans to donate 17.5 acres of prime land, with an appraised value of $2.5 million, north of the airport fronting the western side of Airport Road near the U.S. Highway 82 interchange midway between Starkville and Columbus.
"We anticipate developing a center of excellence in aerospace engineering that will focus on several aspects of aviation, including unmanned aerial vehicles," said Colin Scanes, MSU's vice president for research and economic development.
He predicted construction of the planned new center will begin sometime in 2008.
U.S. Rep. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., citing the growing focus on aerospace engineering in the Golden Triangle area, said he and other members of the state's congressional delegation are "committed to supporting aerospace development along with other related industries within the state of Mississippi."
Scanes said Fishback also plans to donate another 10 acres of non-frontage land to the university at the GTR site. That tract will be used to build an incubator facility designed to spur the development of other aerospace-related industries in the area, he noted.
American Eurocopter and Aurora Flight Sciences are other high technology, defense-related companies already operating near the airport site. Both have strong links to MSU's Bagley College of Engineering, led by Dean Kirk Schulz; the department of aerospace engineering, headed by Tony Vizzini; and Raspet Flight Research Laboratory, directed by David Lawrence.
Vizzini said the new center will share research and technology with the aerospace industry while addressing rapidly evolving civilian, homeland security and military issues for Mississippi and the nation. He stressed the importance of the successful enterprises already operating in the Golden Triangle.
"This is an important step in continuing the progress made to date by the Raspet Flight Research Laboratory and the department of aerospace engineering to attract aerospace industry to the area," said Vizzini.
"It allows us to build on our past successes with American Eurocopter and Aurora Flight Sciences, and to increase our future outreach capabilities," he added.
Scanes said Fishback "has a vision for development of this land and we want to help make his vision a reality. We want to continue to play a pivotal role in the economic development of the Golden Triangle."
A facility planning and design specialist throughout his 40-year career, Fishback also owns an adjacent 285 acres at the GTR site. He said he hopes to develop that land for light industry, professional buildings, restaurants, service stations, retail shops, and other commercial uses.
"I believe Mississippi State represents the kind of quality that will act as a catalyst for more development," he said during an earlier visit to the area. "I would like to emulate the symbiotic relationship here that exists between Stanford University and the Silicon Valley in California. It will be good for MSU and a big attraction for business.
"We believe the MSU research facility can serve as an anchor for the development of private business in the future," he added.
As a senior partner at Schmidt, Garden and Erikson in Chicago and a partner in Chicago of Design, Fishback successfully practiced architecture and managed offices in 22 U.S. states and 11 foreign countries during his lengthy career.
Although he has never lived in Mississippi, Fishback's late parents, Dr. Woodson and Mildred Fishback, resided in Columbus for a decade during their retirement years.
NEWS EDITORS/DIRECTORS: For more information, contact Dr. Scanes at 662-325-3570 or scanes@research.msstate.edu.
For more information about Mississippi State University, see http://www.msstate.edu/.