Story originally posted on Winona Daily News, written by Madeline Heim.
Original article can be found here.
Minnesota State Chancellor Devinder Malhotra, left and Winona State President Scott Olson, right, talk with Winona State faculty about the schools composite materials engineering program. PlastiCert’s Manufacturing Engineer Zach Block, back right, listens to discussion. Photo taken by Winona Daily News Chuck Miller
“Shortly before the Minnesota State system will send its biennial budget request to the state Legislature for consideration, Chancellor Devinder Malhotra stopped at Winona State University Tuesday to hear from students, faculty and local business partners who would like to see an innovative program keep growing.
The school’s composite materials engineering program, which began in 1987 at the request of former Minnesota governor Rudy Perpich, is a heavy producer of graduates ready to serve locally at Fastenal, RTP or Wenonah Canoe, and nationally at companies like BMW, Nike and 3M.
Winona State is the only university in the country to offer an undergraduate bachelor of science in composite engineering, and one of only a handful of schools in the Minnesota State system to have an engineering-related degree at all. But like anything that has been around for three decades, it could use updated resources…”
“Craig Porter, president of the Lewiston company Plasticert, said although he’s heard that the way businesses and Minnesota State function “is like apples and oranges,” stakeholders are in a good position to take the degree program to another level.
He added that he’d like to see students dive further into the research portion of composite materials engineering, which he said could draw more industries to the Winona area. There are eight composite companies in the city currently…”
Local leaders and Winona State faculty tour Stark Hall during Chancellor Devinder Malhotra’s visit to Winona State. PlastiCert’s Owner/President Craig Porter was in attendance and is pictured 4th from the right. Photo taken by: Winona Daily News- Chuck Miller