Dallas, Texas – January 27, 2009 – The Bobby B. Lyle School of Engineering at Southern Methodist University will serve as a designated research collaborator in the Systems Engineering Research Center (SERC), the first University Affiliated Research Center (UARC) funded by the Department of Defense (DoD) to focus on challenging systems engineering issues facing the DoD and related defense industries.
SMU Lyle School of Engineering, with Dr. Jerrell Stracener as lead senior researcher, will participate as part of a prestigious consortium of 18-leading collaborator universities and research centers throughout the United States, led by Stevens Institute of Technology, with the University of Southern California serving as its principal collaborator.
"This award is a major recognition of Stevens Institute of Technology's leadership, consolidated during the last decade, in the field of Complex Systems Engineering," said Dr. Dinesh Verma, Dean of Stevens' School of Systems & Enterprises, and the Executive Director of the Systems Engineering Research Center.
SERC will be responsible for systems engineering research that supports the development, integration, testing and sustainability of complex defense systems, enterprises and services. SERC will serve as the systems engineering research engine for the DoD and Intelligence Community (IC). It will also offer systems engineering programs and workshops for DoD and IC employees and contractors.
"As a key partner in this national consortium, we are pleased to have the opportunity to expand our contributions to this country in systems engineering education and research through the linkage of the Lyle Systems Engineering Program with SMU's Caruth Institute for Engineering Education and its one of a kind Lockheed Martin Skunk Works® Lab," said Dr. Geoffrey Orsak, Dean of the Lyle School of Engineering.
SMU Lyle School of Engineering's Systems Engineering Program (SEP) has long been recognized for providing work-place relevant education and research to the nation's aerospace and defense (A&D) community, both industry and government. The SEP was developed and continues to evolve under the leadership of Dr. Jerrell Stracener, SEP Founding Director, in partnership with government agencies and A&D companies. The Lyle School of Engineering's system engineering research program is being driven by needs of A&D systems developers, including Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Bell Helicopter, Elbit Systems and L-3 Communications. A doctoral program is being expanded in response to needs of the United States A&D sector, both industry and government.
About the Bobby B. Lyle School of Engineering
SMU's Bobby B. Lyle School of Engineering, founded in 1925, is one of the oldest engineering schools in the Southwest. The school offers eight undergraduate and 29 graduate programs, including both master's and doctorate levels.
A private university located in the heart of Dallas, SMU is building on the vision of its founders, who imagined a distinguished center for learning emerging from the spirit of the city. Today, 11,000 students benefit from the national opportunities and international reach afforded by the quality of SMU's seven degree-granting schools.
About the Systems Engineering Research Center
SERC is a collaborative research center comprised of 18-leading collaborator universities and research organizations led by Stevens Institute of Technology. Collectively, the SERC collaboration is unparalleled in its depth and breath, leadership and citizenship in Systems Engineering research. SERC collaborators include: Stevens Institute of Technology, University of Southern California, Air Force Institute of Technology, Auburn University, Carnegie Mellon University, Fraunhofer Center at the University of Maryland, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Pennsylvania State University, Southern Methodist University, Texas A&M University, Texas Tech University, University of Alabama at Huntsville, University of California at San Diego, University of Maryland, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, University of Virginia, and Wayne State University.
Additional information regarding the SERC and the Department of Defense is available on their respective web sites, www.sercuarc.org and www.defenselink.mil.