AC 2012-3266: DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF DEGREE PROGRAMS IN ELECTRIC DRIVE VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY

In 2009, the US Department of Energy awarded $39.1 million to nine universities and colleges and a professional association, through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), for development and implementation of Advanced Electric Drive Vehicle education programs. Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, in partner with Macomb Community College and NextEnergy, a State of Michigan organization to facilitate alternative energy technology development, was funded a $5 million grant to develop a comprehensive set of advanced educational programs, including a Master's Degree in Electric Drive Vehicle Engineering (EVE), a Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Transportation Technology (ETT), Associate's Degrees in Automotive Technology and Electronic Engineering Technology, with emphasis on Electric Drive Vehicles. The programs also include certificates with Electric Vehicle Technology courses, an undergraduate concentration and a graduate certificate program in EVE, and to simultaneously provide for general public and consumer education. This paper presents the design of the program curriculum, development of undergraduate and graduate courses and the laboratories, implementation of the degree programs, and the outreach activities, including the Summer Academy on HEV for community college students, professional development short courses in Advanced Energy Storage for community college automotive instructors and K-12 science and technology teachers, and a national workshops to engage electric vehicle manufacturers, battery, electric components, fuel cell developers, and electric infrastructure companies.