Getting to Know ECU
ECU's Industry Team
In 2018, ECU launched the newly created Office of Industry Initiatives. The office combines several ECU programs into one office, helping industry leaders engage with university researchers, students and facilities to advance programs and partnerships that promote the economic advancement of North Carolina.
The ECU Advantage
The Office of Industry Initiatives focuses on connecting ECU's resources with your business.
Industry and Research Highlights
Industry Roundtable, Economic Growth Collaboratory Announced
ECU hosted the first of many planned Industry Roundtable Luncheons on Jan. 28, bringing together over 100 industry leaders from the region to discuss their most pressing challenges. The roundtable offered ECU leadership an opportunity to engage with community leaders to better explore ways for the university to support regional industries, including our new Economic Growth Collaboratory that was announced at the event.
ECU also presented a pair of awards to industry leaders, including Grady-White Boats owner and CEO Eddie Smith and Grover Gaming owner and CEO Garrett Blackwelder. ECU plans to host additional roundtable luncheons across the region and the state. If you’re interested in hosting or sponsoring an event in your area, please contact Brandon Morrison.
ECU Growing Research
ECU continues to be one of the fastest growing research universities in the country. In the latest national research rankings provided by the National Science Foundation for Fiscal Year 2017, five ECU programs were ranked in the top 100 for public universities. Our student and faculty researchers can provide a range of services for your business through sponsored research projects, capstone courses, and community engaged research projects. Partner with a researcher for your project by reaching out to the Office of Industry Initiatives.
Capstone Projects Provide Industry Benefits
ECU’s senior capstone projects provide businesses an opportunity to examine and solve both organizational and technological challenges facing your organization. These group projects with faculty mentorship provide students with important project management skills which better prepare them to enter the workforce. Capstone projects in engineering, construction management, business, and finance, among others, are being utilized by industries across eastern North Carolina to add value to their businesses. These projects place a team of students on a year-long, individualized project that solves a specific need identified by a company and have seen returns on investment ranging from $250,000 to $1 million. Read about the experience of one industry leader that has utilized ECU’s capstone projects for more than a decade.
Wells Fargo Invests in ECU's Advanced Manufacturing Lab
ECU’s College of Engineering and Technology officially launched the first phase of its advanced manufacturing laboratory on Feb. 11, cutting the ribbon on its new equipment. The lab features new Haas CBC mills, 3D printing equipment and additional state-of-the-art manufacturing tools as part of ECU’s commitment to develop a highly-skilled workforce for the region. The College of Engineering and Technology is forming an advanced manufacturing advisory board to help the college understand industry’s needs and provide advice on future investments in equipment and educational programs. For more information on the lab, how it can be used to help your business, or interest in the advanced manufacturing advisory board, contact Department of Technology Systems Chair Tijjani Mohammed.
Alumnus Wins IBM Competition, Secures Job
ECU computer science graduate Magus Pereira impressed technology giant IBM enough this fall to not only win its inaugural global Call for Code Challenge, but also secure a job with the company. Pereira, a 2018 graduate, and his Project OWL team won the challenge with their product ClusterDuck – a two-part hardware/software solution that provides a communication infrastructure for first responders during disasters. Pereira, who used ECU’s innovation and mentorship resources during project development, and his team won $200,000 in cash prizes. Pereira received a different type of prize after the event – a job offer – as he was hired by IBM as a Virtualization and DevOps Engineer for the company. The resources ECU provided through its computer science program and entrepreneurship initiatives gave Pereira the tools he needed to thrive in the tech industry. Learn more about these resources that are also available to our industry partners.
ECU Receives $1 Million Grant for Recently Launched Microenterprise Program
East Carolina University received a $1 million award from the Golden LEAF Foundation to support rural economic prosperity through innovation and entrepreneurship. The grant will support ECU’s recently launched university-wide program focused on creating a new generation of student-led microenterprises in the 29 counties of eastern North Carolina, reflective of its name RISE-29. A major feature of the program includes assisting current businesses with succession and continuity programs as current owners begin retirement planning.
Learn more about the program by reaching out to program director Sharon Paynter. For more information about ECU's microentrepreneruship activities, including its Microenterprise Program and Microenterprise Fund, visit the Office of Innovation and New Ventures.