NSF Director Panchanathan joins Sen. Shaheen to tour the University of New Hampshire and its advanced manufacturing center
On May 12, U.S. National Science Foundation Director Sethuraman Panchanathan joined Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) at the University of New Hampshire in Durham to visit the university and its John Olson Advanced Manufacturing Center. While on site, they discussed the "CHIPS and Science Act" and the role that scientific and technological progress in fields like advanced manufacturing have in growing New Hampshire's and the nation's economies.
"I'm delighted to witness directly, here in New Hampshire, the outcomes of investments in advanced manufacturing technologies that provide hands-on, interdisciplinary learning opportunities in a factory environment and industry collaboration," said NSF Director Panchanathan. "Progress like this is only achieved with the strong support of policy initiatives from legislators and the federal government. We are deeply grateful to Senator Shaheen for her leadership. She is a champion for science, and we share her commitment to strengthen the U.S. workforce, create good-paying jobs at home and ensure a U.S. competitive edge on the world stage."
During his visit, Panchanathan met with UNH leadership and professors, as well as NSF-funded investigators and graduate students. He was given a tour of the manufacturing center, where innovations and state-of-the-art equipment are on display. The NSF-supported center focuses on advanced manufacturing technologies and a cross-curricular approach to manufacturing concepts. In collaboration with industry, the facility provides hands-on, interdisciplinary learning opportunities in a factory setting.
Director Panchanathan's visit to New Hampshire underscored the value of NSF's support for the STEM enterprise in communities like Durham and the scalable opportunities and impacts that come from NSF investments. To that end, his visit highlighted the promising future of the advanced manufacturing field, which has capacity to drive innovation, develop a skilled workforce, create new jobs and ensure the nation's global competitiveness.