Contact: Jim Laird
STARKVILLE, Miss.--Mississippi State University's Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems Extension office is being recognized nationally for its work with a Clay County manufacturing facility.
The project, officially titled "The Role of MSU's CAVS Extension in Supporting Rapid Commercialization at Navistar Defense's Plant in West Point, MS," is a finalist in the University Economic Development Association's 2010 Awards of Excellence competition.
According to Clay Walden, director of CAVS Extension and a research professor at the land-grant institution, the recognition is the result of Mississippi State's commitment to the communities it serves.
"CAVS Extension and the university as a whole are actively engaged in the lives of Mississippians," he said. "Our work with Navistar is an excellent example of the assistance we provide and the partnerships we develop with business and industry in the state."
In West Point, CAVS Extension engineers led Navistar's manufacturing system development, including the use of advanced modeling and simulation techniques, to help the company enhance its production of mine-resistant armored protection vehicles, commonly called MRAPs, for the U.S. Department of Defense.
"We are proud of the work being done by the CAVS Extension team," said David Shaw, Mississippi State's vice president for research and economic development. "Fostering research opportunities and meeting the needs of industry are clearly defined priorities for us as the state's flagship university."
The CAVS Extension team will attend the association's Higher Education Institutions as Catalysts for Economic Development summit and present Mississippi State's project in November. The winner of the 2010 Award of Excellence in Business Assistance and Entrepreneurship also will be announced.
For additional information about MSU CAVS Extension, which is a major component of the Bagley College of Engineering Engagement and Outreach Service, please see http://www.cavse.msstate.edu.