Randolph receives Go Virginia funding for new major

When Randolph’s new robotics and mechatronics engineering program launches this coming semester, it will play an important role in Virginia’s economic growth.

“This program grew out of a collaboration among local colleges, school systems, and employers to identify how Randolph can meet the need for a talent pipeline that starts in local high schools and ends with employment in our region,” said Gary Dop, Randolph’s dean of innovation.

The major was funded in part by GO Virginia, a state-funded initiative administered by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development that strengthens and diversifies Virginia’s economy and fosters the creation of higher wage jobs in strategic industries.

“While manufacturing and robotics are big everywhere, Lynchburg is a particular hotbed for that kind of engineering,” said Peter Sheldon, Randolph’s Charles A. Dana Professor and chair of the physics and engineering departments. “We are well-situated with a lot of engineering companies and others in the industry, which is one of the reasons why we chose this major.”

An interdisciplinary branch of engineering, mechatronics involves mechanical, electrical, and computer engineering. Robotics is a subset of that, focusing on applied systems to design, build, and operate smart machines.

The grant money will be used for the mechatronics and robotics lab equipment necessary for industry training and primary certifications, with matching funds used for faculty and staff, additional equipment, community engagement and outreach, and recruiting prospective students into the program.

The program is planning to launch as a FANUC robotics-certified program, which is designed to prepare students with core competencies and automation technology skills for today’s manufacturing industry.

“What’s fantastic about doing this degree at Randolph College is the amount of resources we’re putting behind this,” Sheldon said. “We know this is going to be a strong program. We know this is going to be a popular program.”

Go VA was established in 2016 by the General Assembly, which initially awarded funds to nine different regional councils to develop growth and diversification plans to assess their economic landscapes, gaps in the workforce, and opportunities for collaboration.

Each of the nine regions is made up of 18 localities that share similar economic development and workforce needs, as well as a set of key industries.

Randolph is in Region 2, which includes the cities of Covington, Lynchburg, Radford, Roanoke, and Salem and the counties of Alleghany, Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford, Botetourt, Campbell, Craig, Floyd, Franklin, Giles, Montgomery, Pulaski, and Roanoke.

The region’s priority industry clusters include IT, engineering, and emerging tech; materials and machinery manufacturing; transportation and autonomy manufacturing; and life sciences and biotechnology.

“Dr. Sheldon has designed a program that began with engagement with the local workforce,” Dop said. “For years, he has cultivated relationships with local schools, employers, and professionals, so the design of this program naturally began with a desire to help meet the needs of our local industries and engineering firms.”