News
River Parishes Community College awarded National Science Foundation grant
Grant will fund development of a new curriculum
River Parishes Community College is excited to announce it has been awarded a National Science Foundation grant of $294,000 for Advanced Industrial Instrumentation Control Technician Education.
This grant will fund development of a new curriculum for the Industrial Instrumentation degree program with a focus on advanced automation control and troubleshooting skills in chemical manufacturing control systems. The curriculum will emphasize the use of the Industrial Internet of Things operational model, Industry 4.0 troubleshooting methods, and integrating STEM academic modules for technical programs.
The content will be developed by working closely with industry partners, and the course will immerse students in an ecosystem approach to plant operations and troubleshooting. The project aims to fulfill the need for industrial instrumentation technician knowledge by collaborating with industry partners such as BASF, Emerson, Shell, and others within the river region who have identified a need for advanced instrumentation control troubleshooting skills.
RPCC would like to recognize these and all of our industrial partners for their leadership, guidance, and resources in leading the efforts to improve the skills and expertise of RPCC graduates.
RPCC Chancellor Dale Doty extends his congratulations to the project team including Esperanza Zenon, Physical Science Instructor and Principal Investigator, John Sluder, Director of Technical Programs, Ernest Carrier, Industrial Instrumentation Instructor, and Cherri Wells, Work Base Learning Coordinator, for their work and initiative in earning this grant.
“The RPCC team was a selected participant in the Mentor-Connect technical assistance program and grant writing workshops, which connected small rural community colleges to the NSF-ATE process. This successful award will position RPCC as a leader in advanced industrial instrumentation curriculum,”
