Utah State Engineer | 2023

Global Connections
Hill Air Force Base and USU Sign
Historic Agreement
A new agreement between Utah State University and Hill Air Force Base will create enhanced learning opportunities for
students and spur innovative joint research efforts.
The Education Partnership Agreement was signed by former USU President Noelle Cockett and Wayne Ayer, a director of the
Air Force Sustainment Center’s Engineering and Technical Management Directorate in Ogden.
“There are so many opportunities and technologies that exist within the Air Force that
students and faculty can be a part of.”
– Wayne Ayer, Hill Air Force Base
Utah State University engineering professors are working to improve the instructional innovation and curriculum
development aspect of the USAID project.
Arid Lands: USAID Center of Excellence
Brings Egyptian Students to USU
“By meeting with students through mentoring, student design projects, tech talks, tours, and various other engagements, we
can help enhance their understanding of a STEM career and expose them to various ways they can utilize their degree,” Ayer
said.
The agreement creates a more direct partnership between USU and Hill Air Force Base, which allows both parties to more
efficiently engage on future research.
Under the partnership, USU faculty and students will have access to Air Force specialized equipment such as design and
testing software, large scale metal, composite and plastics 3D printing, wind chambers, and testing facilities.
The agreement is scheduled to last for five years.
The United States Agency for International Development funded
a $30 million Center of Excellence for Water that focuses on
curriculum reform, capacity building, commercialization of research,
and technology transfer.
Utah State University engineering professors are working to
improve the instructional innovation and curriculum development
aspect of the project. One such professor is engineering education
professor Kurt Becker who traveled to Africa to work with Egyptian
universities and build engineering education capacity in the areas of
instructional technology and innovative teaching methods.
The project, which started in 2019, will last seven years. Egyptian
faculty and students were funded by the center to study at USU
to assist Egypt in improving and meeting water demands. Egypt
also plans to meet its goal of raising all aspects of higher education
including curriculum, teaching, and research to international
standards by 2030.
The Center of Excellence
for Water in Egypt informs
national and local water policy
information, promotes efficient
water use, and develops innovative
applied research solutions for
water-related issues.
The Center has Three
Academic Pillars:
• Instructional Innovation and
Curriculum Development
• High Quality Applied
Research
• Exchanges, Training, and
Scholarships
Former USU President Noelle Cockett and Wayne Ayer, director of the Air Force Sustainment Center’s Engineering and Technical Management
Directorate in Ogden, signed an educational partnership agreement that gives USU faculty access to Air Force equipment, facilities, and inside knowledge.
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