SUNY Canton Automotive Technology Program Reopens in Ultra-Modern Lab

A Feb. 11 grand reopening celebration will begin a fundraising campaign for even more state-of-the art equipment.

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Tyler Atwell of Westport, Automotive Technology Program Director Brandon J. Baldwin, and Richard Papineau of Gouverneur, working in the newly-renovated SUNY Canton Automotive Technology lab.

CANTON, NY (02/02/2010)(readMedia)-- SUNY Canton's signature Automotive Technology program has moved into a completely modernized home with more than double the space for instruction and projects.

The program's faculty members and students will be holding an open house celebration from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 11, in the newly renovated section of Nevaldine Technology Center Room 124. Among the events and activities during the open house will be hands-on demonstrations with Automotive Technology students and an official unveiling and campaign kick-off with SUNY Canton President Joseph L. Kennedy at 12:30 p.m. The open house and surrounding events are free and open to the public.

"We're moving into the future by outfitting the automotive lab to handle the latest technology in the industry," said Canino School of Engineering Technology Dean David J. Wells. "With our upgrades, we stand to be the best career-driven Automotive Technology program in New York and in the Northeastern United States."

Through a Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act (VATEA) grant, the department was able to purchase new alignment equipment and a new rotary lift, among other enhancements.

"The open house will be the official start of our Campaign for Excellence with the SUNY Canton Foundation," said Automotive Technology Program Director Brandon J. Baldwin. "We have more state-of-the-art tools and resources than ever before, but we have a tremendous opportunity to expand our program to meet the demands of the future."

Baldwin said that donations through the SUNY Canton Foundation will help the department purchase a dynamometer, which is very much like a large treadmill for automobiles. The device would be one-of-a-kind tool in the region that would allow students to measure power, tune, run drive cycles, assist with drivability concerns, and run efficiency experiments.

The Automotive Technology Program currently has several outstanding projects in the works, including building a biodiesel dragster and expanded research with electric and hybrid vehicles.

The labs were first opened to students at the beginning of the Spring 2010 semester, and are part of an overall Nevaldine Technology Center renovation project by Northland Associates, the same company overseeing the construction of the College's new Convocation Athletic and Recreation Center.

The SUNY Canton Foundation has offered to assist with several of the key upgrades, and will be reaching out to the program's alumni and supporters to help with further enhancements. For more information, or to RSVP for the open house, contact the SUNY Canton Foundation at 315.386.7127, or email foundation@canton.edu.

SUNY Canton offers a wide variety of career-driven bachelor's, associate, and certificate programs. Most of SUNY Canton's new four-year programs are designed so students can take them on-campus, online, or both. SUNY Canton OnLine features more than 100 courses online each semester. The College's athletic teams belong to the NAIA's Sunrise Conference, enabling students to compete in their respective sports for four years. Construction is now underway for the College's new Convocation, Athletic, and Recreation Center.

-www.canton.edu-