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Grand Valley State University positions itself as tech-talent pipeline for Michigan and Midwest businesses

Grand Valley State University's futurEDlab.
University Communications
/
gvsu.edu
Grand Valley State University's futurEDlab.

Wednesday, on its downtown Grand Rapids campus it launched the Future Ed Lab at the Consumers Energy John G. Russell Leadership Center.

Grand Valley State University’s Future Ed Lab (futureEDlab) is a space where students can be makers, architects, testers and evaluators.

“You’ll see faculty and staff collaborating with learners and partners to break new ground in technical innovation, active learning, pathways to and through college, expanding opportunities in teacher pipelines and much, much, more.”

GVSU President Philomena V. Mantella explained this is a commitment to the university’s expansion of computing, engineering and tech-enable fields.

Within the Future Ed Lab, students develop innovative skills, gain knowledge and creativity necessary for engaging with emerging technologies. Ashley Castellanos is a legal studies major testing technology involving Virtual Reality learning research.

“As a legal studies major, having tech and digital skills improves my effectiveness and efficiency as a legal practitioner. These abilities help me to stay flexible and creative in the past paced industry and lead to new job opportunities.”

The Future Ed Lab is a node within GVSU’s Blue Dot Ecosystem.

“As a metaphor, Blue Dot encapsulates Grand Valley’s vision for a forward-looking world where technology, creativity, community collaboration, problem-solving is the right path to a brighter future.”

Earlier this month, Grand Valley’s Board of Trustees approved the creation of a college of computing and advanced technology.

Patrick joined WGVU Public Media in December, 2008 after eight years of investigative reporting at Grand Rapids' WOOD-TV8 and three years at WYTV News Channel 33 in Youngstown, Ohio. As News and Public Affairs Director, Patrick manages our daily radio news operation and public interest television programming. An award-winning reporter, Patrick has won multiple Michigan Associated Press Best Reporter/Anchor awards and is a three-time Academy of Television Arts & Sciences EMMY Award winner with 14 nominations.