Two grants totaling $95,000 will expand opportunities for students in Fairfield’s School of Engineering and Computing and strengthen the University’s industry connections in artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, and workforce development.
“These research initiatives continue to showcase the impact of our School of Engineering and Computing in the economic development of the manufacturing industry in the state of Connecticut,” said Dean Andres Leonardo Carrano, PhD.
The awards include a $75,000 Connecticut Tech Talent Accelerator (TTA) 3.0 Innovation Grant, supported by the Connecticut Office of Workforce Strategy and administered by the Business-Higher Education Forum, with support from the New England Board of Higher Education, and a $20,000 grant from the Gene Haas Foundation to support computer numerical control (CNC) and manufacturing-focused engineering education.
The grants will support efforts to prepare Fairfield engineering students for the evolving demands of engineering and manufacturing, with an emphasis on developing expertise in AI-enabled manufacturing and providing greater access to specialized CNC education.
Preparing Engineers for AI-Enabled Manufacturing
The $75,000 TTA 3.0 Innovation Grant will support Fairfield’s AI-Assisted Manufacturing Readiness initiative, which brings together responsible AI, advanced manufacturing, industry engagement, and workforce preparation.
Naser Haghbin, PhD, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, serves as principal investigator for the initiative. Sidike Paheding, PhD, associate professor of computer science and chair of the Computer Science Department, and Zahra Shahbazi, PhD, associate dean and professor of mechanical engineering, serve as co-principal investigators.
Through the initiative, the School of Engineering and Computing will develop a schoolwide digital thread pathway connecting CAD design, manufacturing, inspection, quality, and AI-assisted decision-making. The project will help students understand how these technologies work together across the manufacturing process and develop skills that align with the needs of today's workforce.
The initiative also supports industry partnerships. “Our industry partners include Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, ASML, and Accurate Lock and Hardware,” said Dr. Haghbin, “bringing aerospace, semiconductor, and advanced manufacturing perspectives to the initiative.”
The Connecticut Tech Talent Accelerator is a statewide AI workforce initiative supported by the Connecticut Office of Workforce Strategy.
Expanding Access to CNC Education
The School of Engineering and Computing’s $20,000 grant from the Gene Haas Foundation supports manufacturing education and CNC workforce development. Shahrokh Etemad, PhD, professor and chair of the Mechanical Engineering Department, will serve as the principal investigator with Dr. Haghbin as co-principal investigator.
The grant will fund student scholarships for CNC and manufacturing-focused engineering education, enabling students to pursue training in computer numerical control technology and related areas of manufacturing. Both credit and non-credit training programs are eligible for scholarship support.
