SIUE and 375th Air Mobility Wing Sign Educational Partnership Agreement
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and the 375th Air Mobility Wing (375 AMW) at Scott Air Force Base marked the start of an exciting new collaboration with the official signing of an Educational Partnership Agreement on Thursday, June 24 in the Engineering Building Atrium on the Edwardsville campus.
The three-year agreement was signed by SIUE Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Denise Cobb, PhD, and Col. J. Scot Heathman, 375th Air Mobility Wing commander. Its primary goals are to facilitate the formal exchange of expertise and resources between the 375 AMW’s innovation hub, Elevate, and SIUE, as well as provide opportunities for equipment and facility access, amplify innovative problem solving, advance the development of STEM curricula, and more.
“We are thrilled to have you join us on our beautiful campus and continue discussions about the tremendous potential that exists between SIUE and Elevate, the innovation hub of Scott Air Force Base,” Cobb said during her welcome remarks.
Cobb underscored experiential learning and community collaboration as the hallmark of an SIUE education. “We are excited to establish this new partnership with the U.S. Air Force to utilize our resources and physical facilities, and to leverage the expertise and energy of our outstanding faculty, students and Air Force members to imagine solutions to persistent challenges and emerging problems,” she explained. “By bringing together rich and diverse teams to confront these complex challenges, we can contribute to innovative solutions to real-world problems.”
“We’re pleased to partner with SIUE on this Education Partnership Agreement, which is a formal way of recognizing the importance of education in the future economic well-being of our nation and specifically, our region,” said Col. Heathman. “As a DoD organization that supports 35 mission partners at Scott Air Force Base, this agreement allows us to leverage the expertise of local universities, such as SIUE, in solving problem sets that require alternative thinking and innovative solutions, while also contributing to regional development. We’re proud to partner with a university that has an incredible reputation for academic excellence. We look forward to collaborating with their students and faculty, while giving our Airmen and Scott AFB a path to accelerate change through innovative initiatives.”
Program managers from both SIUE and the 375 AMW will meet monthly to identify, select and prioritize activities that will boost opportunities and provide research, learning and societal benefits.
Photo (L-R): SIUE Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Denise Cobb, and Col. J. Scot Heathman, 375th Air Mobility Wing commander at Scott Air Force Base.
