Contact: Jim Laird
STARKVILLE, Miss.--Mississippi businesses and industries now have a new weapon in their arsenal for competing in the global marketplace.
Analyst Steve Puryear of Mississippi State University's Canton-based Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems Extension recently was certified as a full Innovation Engineering Black Belt.
In addition to being a first for the state, the achievement makes him one of only 50 in the nation to hold the highly sought designation.
"We strive to provide our clients with tools that help innovate new products, services and processes, and Innovation Engineering is a valuable addition to the CAVS Extension portfolio," Puryear said.
According to www.InnovationEngineering.org, Black Belt candidates must lead a series of field projects and pass a multi-part examination. The platform is designed to transform innovation from a random event to a reliable and scientific system that companies may deploy for profitable growth.
An alliance between the Ohio-based Eureka! Ranch and the University of Maine, the Innovation Engineering Institute provides a multi-disciplinary training program that blends the humanities, engineering, business, and patent law.
The prestigious professional certification also is recognized by the National Institute of Standards and Technology's Manufacturing Extension Partnership.
CAVS Extension is a major component of the MSU Bagley College of Engineering's Engineering Engagement and Outreach Service. It works to develop capabilities based on needs of the automotive industry, as well as to leverage the resulting programs for the benefit of all Mississippi manufacturing sectors.
To reach Puryear and learn more about CAVS, visit www.cavse.msstate.edu.
Mississippi State is online at www.msstate.edu.