Congress Approves Senator Boozman's $10 Million Funding Request to Support the Center for Advanced Steel and Materials Manufacturing

JONESBORO, Arkansas – A $10 million congressional appropriation led by U.S. Senator John Boozman, R-Ark., will advance plans for Arkansas State University's Center for Advanced Steel and Materials Manufacturing to support the nation's largest steel-producing region.

A-State will use the funding to invest in high-tech equipment for a multi-million-dollar facility aimed at boosting the rapidly growing steel industry in the Arkansas Delta and across Northeast Arkansas. The region leads the nation in steel production, with more than 20 steel-related companies employing about 3,600 workers, and another $3 billion in facilities currently under construction that will create 900 additional jobs.

The university plans to work closely with steel manufacturers on research, process improvement, and testing of advanced materials and steel production, while training a growing professional workforce for the industry and the region.

"Northeast Arkansas is a national leader in steel production, and A-State's Center for Advanced Steel and Materials Manufacturing will play a critical role in providing research, process improvement, and workforce development to support this thriving industry," said A-State Chancellor Todd Shields. "This center and these partnerships will fundamentally transform the region and strengthen its role as the steel capital of the United States. Arkansas State benefits from being the research university closest to the current and future steel industry, and we are thrilled about the successful partnerships that have developed."

Shields added: "On behalf of the A-State community and everyone in Northeast Arkansas, I want to thank Senator Boozman for his leadership and his commitment to our university and to this vital economic driver for our state and region." "These jobs are more technologically advanced than ever and require a technologically skilled workforce. It is essential to create opportunities for homegrown talent in our region to ensure that Arkansas becomes the nation's leading state in advanced materials and steel manufacturing."

The center will develop mechanical property measurements for steel and other alloys; X-ray diffraction spectroscopy and electron microscopy analytical tools; computational materials science research on new materials; and maximize the use of artificial intelligence in the manufacturing process. Steel quality is determined by its mechanical properties, and current testing for manufacturing facilities in Mississippi County requires costly shipping that delays delivery to buyers.

These comprehensive measurements will be complemented by capabilities in artificial intelligence, data science, and data analytics, as well as computational materials science, in which diverse material modeling techniques – including molecular dynamics, phase field modeling, computational fluid dynamics, finite element modeling, and systems engineering modeling – can be used to validate new material formulations and manufacturing processes.

Dr. Abhijit Bhattacharyya, the newly appointed dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science. "We will help solve industry-related problems and provide faculty and students with valuable opportunities to work alongside scientists in the steel industry. The programs we are developing will be world-class, just like the world-class steel mills located in our backyard."

A-State is reallocating faculty positions to support the Center by establishing a new department within the college, with a specific focus on materials science, metallurgy, and steel manufacturing, supported by data science and artificial intelligence. Faculty and students will work collaboratively with scientists and staff at steel mills in the region.

Provost Calvin White said: "This is exactly how a research institution should successfully collaborate with local industries." "We are excited to work with our industry partners to find business solutions, develop markets, improve manufacturing, expand high-skilled job opportunities, and be a central part of economic development across our region, state, and nation."