A ribbon-cutting and reception marking the grand opening of Wayne State University's new center of excellence in Macomb County, the Advanced Technology Education Center (ATEC), is slated for 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2, at 14601 E. 12 Mile Road in Warren.
The building was formerly a Farmer Jack grocery store but, just one year after a groundbreaking ceremony marked the beginning of (re)construction, ATEC is home to such high-demand academic programs as engineering and engineering technology, instructional technology, computer science and business. The 40,000-square-foot facility has classroom and teaching space for 900 students.
ATEC is Wayne State's third location in Macomb County, joining the WSU Macomb Education Center and University Center-Macomb, both in Clinton Township. The university has provided degree programs in Macomb County since 1973, beginning at Rodgers and Ottawa junior high schools in St. Clair Shores. ATEC is directly across 12 Mile Road from Macomb Community College's South Campus, making it convenient for MCC students and others to transition to WSU.
The new location will further strengthen Wayne State's longstanding relationship with MCC, which has made significant investments in its campus infrastructure this past year. There is even a new pedestrian walkway and traffic light on 12 Mile that makes it easier for students to move between the two campuses and seamlessly pursue their education.
Programming at ATEC was specifically selected to complement fast-growing industries such as manufacturing, transportation and defense that play key roles in the Macomb economy, and will help ensure that area employers have a well-prepared, educated workforce.
ATEC is one of two extension centers the university is opening this fall; the new Schoolcraft Center in Livonia offers academic programs in business and engineering technology. Wayne State's six extension centers are part of the Office of Educational Outreach and headed by Associate Vice President Ahmad Ezzeddine.
"The extension centers are outposts of Wayne State's Midtown campus," Ezzeddine says. "We offer degree programs in a variety of spaces and times so that no matter where our students live or work, there is a Wayne State site nearby that can help them achieve their goal of completing their degree.
"We are proud of our longstanding partnership with Macomb Community College, and are confident that by opening this new state-of-the-art classroom facility across from South Campus we will help more students from Macomb County succeed academically and in the workforce."
Wayne State University is a premier urban research institution of higher education offering more than 370 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to nearly 28,000 students.