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Ferris
State University Breaks
Ground on New Tech Center
With
over 200 individuals in attendance, the future of the education
of HVACR technicians took a giant leap forward on May 10,
2002, at the groundbreaking of the HVACR and Construction
Technology Center at Ferris State University (FSU).
The
state-of-the art facility  groundbreaking
saw members of the FSU "family" - faculty, administrators,
students, trustees, politicians, and interested citizens,
all in attendance for this historic event.
"This
facility will set Ferris State University in the leadership
role of hvacr and construction trades," said FSU president
William A. Sederberg. (Pictured right)
Also
speaking at the ceremony was Michigan State Senator Joanne
Emmons (23rd District), who played a pivotal role in getting
funding for the new building. Emmons serves as the Chairperson
of the State Finance Committee and Vice Chairperson of the
Education Committee. President Sederberg joked that Emmons
was "instrumental in twisting arms to get the project
approved."
Senator
Emmons stated:  "This
is a premier project that students need and demand".
Chuck
Matrosic, interim Dean of the FSU college of Technology,
thanked the faculty for their input in the entire project
- which, according to Matrosic, has been quite formidable.
"In my 17 years of travel throughout this trade, I
have never seen a facility like this," he said.
Pictured
above- MPMCA's Walt Maner, Senator Emmons and Dean Matrosic.
The
$18 million project will include a 45,000-sq-ft addition
to the existing Construction Technology Center.
FSU
is committed to funding $4.5 million of the project. Donations
of cash and equipment for the building's systems and teaching
laboratories are being solicited from industry, alumni,
and friends of the programs.
 Greater
Michigan MSCA Student Chapter Member Jason Dempsey, a student
in the FSU HVACR Engineering Technology program was one
of the featured speakers. (Pictured right speaking)
President Sederberg credited Dempsey for "doing a great
job of selling our [hvacr] to government representatives."
Dempsey,
from San Diego, CA could have gone to any of several hvacr
training programs after finishing two years at a Southern
California junior college. Jason is currently serving his
internship, that he secured through his involvement with
our FSU Student Chapter, with MSCA National Chairman Don
Batz's company - Comm Air Mechanical Services in California.
 He
chose FSU because of its reputation and because of the encouragement
of HVACR Department chairman Mike Feutz (pictured
left speaking). "I wanted to be trained up
to a level where I could immediately be hired by a leading
industry company and earn a decent wage," Dempsey said.
"Ferris State was exactly what I was looking for."
Jason
spoke about the origins of FSU and how founder Woodridge
Ferris would be proud of the university today.  "This
new facility fills a technical void in HVACR training in
the U.S., " he said. He was also quick to add : "I
would like to acknowledge the efforts of Governor John Engler
and his staff for approving funding for the project."
The
project is one that the HVACR Industry has been very involved
in and we will continue to assist whenever and wherever
possible.
The
scheduled completion date is December 2003.
US
Congressman Dave Camp Visits FSU Campus
 US
Congressman Dave Camp (pictured right) speaking
to HVACR students during his visit to Ferris State University
on May 5, 2002. Camp was instrumental in securing a $500,000
earmark for the HVACR programs that will be used to develop
and deliver the first ever HVACR bachelor degree via distance
learning.
FSU
President William A. Sederberg, Vice President of Governmental
Relations Scott Hill-Kennedy and HVACR Department Head Mike
Feutz are working with Camp on the next installment of the
earmark, an amount of $1,000,000 that will be used to develop
regional sites for hands on competency assessment. FSU and
the UA are discussing using UA regional and local training
sites for this purpose.
 MSCA
Student Chapter member Jason Dempsey spoke at the program,
(Dave Camp and Jason Dempsey shaking hands pictured
left) Camp was so impressed with Jason's speech,
that immediately after his own remarks, Jason was the first
person that he sought out to talk.
Mike
Feutz presenting Congressman David Camp with the first ever
Ferris State University Certification for "Official
Refrigerant User", printed on the EPA approved certificate.
(Pictured bottom-right)
 During
his tour the Congressman took time to review some of the
accomplishments of students in the HVACR program. (Pictured
bottom-left) Mike Feutz, Advisor for our MSCA Student
Chapter discusses with the Congressman the National MCAA
Student Chapter of the Year Award received by the Chapter,
and the programs accomplished by the Chapter that lead to
their receiving this very first award.
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