Lockheed awards CU $3M
Aerospace giant Lockheed Martin is giving $3 million to the University of Colorado to fund a research center on radio-frequency technologies and their use in space-communications systems.
The grant will fund the Lockheed Martin Radio Frequency Space Systems Research Center, which will offer several academic programs, including:
• Dual bachelor’s/master’s programs in aerospace and electrical engineering.
• A Lockheed Martin Chair of Radio Frequency Engineering, a faculty position dedicated to RF teaching and research.
• A Lockheed Martin Faculty Fellow, a professor supporting research and academic activities of a key faculty member in the new educational programs.
• Lockheed Martin Graduate Fellowships, consisting of graduate students working at Lockheed Martin on projects relevant to the company.
CU and Lockheed are “kindred spirits” when it comes to innovation and leadership, vice chancellor for research Terri Fiez said. “It’s exciting to think about when we come together what we could do that we couldn’t do on our own.”
The research center will be housed in the planned aerospace and engineering facility on CU’s East campus. The facility, which isn’t being funded with the Lockheed grant, is expected to break ground in 2017 and be completed in 2019.
The building is needed because of growth to the college’s program, which is expected to grow to 1,027 students by 2020.
That growth made CU an attractive partner for Lockheed.
“You’re seeing dramatic growth at CU in the engineering department, so we absolutely want to take advantage of that,” said Keoki Jackson, Lockheed’s chief technology officer. “They have literally the best of the best here, a diverse mix. CU is going to be the world-class leader” in aerospace engineering.
U.S. News & World Report ranks CU’s aerospace engineering program No. 10 in the country for graduate and undergraduate students.
Lockheed has a long history of sponsorship at the college, having contributed nearly $7 million to fund research projects. More than 500 CU grads work at the company’s space systems division, and it has hosted countless interns.
The RF research also could result in technological advances that benefit consumers and governments.