27 College Faculty from Around the Nation Learn about Advancements in Lab Design and Exercises
BAS V press release (2379 downloads )
June 11, 2016 – ATLANTA – BEST Center, a National Science Foundation Advanced Technological Education (ATE) Center, and Georgia Piedmont Technical College, both leaders in building automation systems (BAS) education, convened faculty from around the country for the semi-annual Building Automation Systems Workshop.
Now in its fifth installment, the BAS Workshop convened 27 faculty and program administrators from 23 technical and community colleges from around the U.S. for a four-day workshop about laboratory development best practices. The workshop featured speakers from GPTC staff and student graduates, Siemens national and regional executives, Laney College and BEST Center. It covered topics such as the connection between labs and curriculum, subnetwork wiring, BACnet MS/TP installation, lab building experiences, and development of train-the-trainer sites. Participants came from Oregon, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, and Florida, among many others and convened at the beautiful Georgia Piedmont Conference Center and BAS laboratory in Clarkston, GA.
“By demand, this year’s workshop was designed to assist colleges that are planning to build or enhance BAS instructional laboratories by providing recommendations on everything from garnering administration support to partnering with industry to lab design concepts for optimal student learning”, said Brian Lovell, Co-Principal Investigator, BEST Center and event organizer. “Each presentation delved into different aspects of setting up a lab and was paired with hands on exercises to demonstrate best practices and industry expectations.”
“Our workshop enables colleges to plan and build laboratory environments that mimic likely real-world scenarios so college graduates are career ready”, said Peter Crabtree, Principal Investigator for BEST Center and Career and Technical Education Dean, Laney College. “High functioning labs are the key ingredient to successful deployments of a well-trained workforce prepared to monitor, maintain and improve buildings for energy efficiency.”
“Georgia Piedmont is a leader in providing affordable pathways to high demand, high paying careers. This BAS workshop with the BEST Center is the latest example in our continued commitment to our students to be a model in the industry and for colleges around the country, not to mention a necessary resource for the Greater Atlanta community”, said Dr. Jabari Simama, Georgia Piedmont’s President.
“This workshop was the result of significant work and time by Georgia Piedmont’s building automation faculty and the BEST Center team. It is one of the major examples of how successful partnerships between community/technical colleges and industry partners can result in providing relevant and vibrant learning experiences for current and future students. Georgia Piedmont is proud to be on the cutting edge of instruction in the building automation area,” stated Dr. Ivan Harrell, Executive Vice President of Academic & Student Affairs at Georgia Piedmont.
About BEST Center
The Building Efficiency for a Sustainable Tomorrow (BEST) Center supports publicly funded 2- and 4-year colleges with programs in heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC/R), building automation controls, and energy/facilities management. Sponsored by ATE grants from the National Science Foundation, this national collaborative promotes state-of-the-art building technician education and dissemination of the latest research, technology, and industry collaborations in energy efficient buildings. Technical and community college faculty in HVAC and building automation programs are encouraged to join the BEST Center’s Network of Colleges.
About Georgia Piedmont Technical College
Established in 1961, Georgia Piedmont Technical College (GPTC) is one of the top technical colleges in Georgia. As a student-centered institution, GPTC prepares individuals with the skills necessary to succeed in a rapidly changing, global economy. GPTC’s graduation rate is more than 63 percent, and its graduates secure employment at a level resulting in a 97.3 percent placement rate. The college has 12 learning centers in DeKalb, Newton, Rockdale and Morgan counties. Georgia Piedmont Technical College is an equal access/equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, marital status, age, religion, national origin, ethnicity, pregnancy, disability, veteran’s status, sexual orientation, or genetic information. Contact the ADA Coordinator at 404/297-9522, ext. 1154, petersl@gptc.edu or the Title IX Coordinator at 404/297-9522, ext. 1176, gordond@gptc.edu for assistance.
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