Vahid Vahdat and Maryam Mansoori, professors of design and construction, were awarded funding from Cougar Cage to equip the Trimble Technology Lab with robotic additive manufacturing to allow students to research and experiment with advanced 3D printing. As artificial intelligence and automation replace more jobs in architecture, Vahdat and Mansoori want students to be prepared to enter a workforce focused on safe and sustainable ways to build.
A mix of students and professors pitched their projects to the Palouse Club, a group of philanthropists and investors from the Puget Sound area, on Oct. 15. Launched last January, Cougar Cage matches private donors with projects pitched by WSU faculty, staff, and students.
Winners from the first event, which was held over Zoom, met with Palouse Club members at a luncheon at the CUB prior to the second event.
The funding program supports WSU’s goal to become one of the top 25 public research universities in the nation by 2030.
“Cougar Cage helps expand our research portfolio by bringing generous support to worthwhile projects that might not receive funding from bigger grant programs,” said WSU President Kirk Schulz. “It spotlights the great research we’re doing and improves collaboration throughout the WSU system.”
To learn more about the winning proposal, see here.
If you would like to support this initiative contact Dana Sprouse, VCEA director of development, at Dana.Sprouse@wsu.edu or 253-987-5052.