BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Illinois Wesleyan University and the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s (ERDC) Construction Engineer Research Laboratory (CERL) have established a new Education Partnership Agreement that will expand opportunities for IWU students and faculty to engage with CERL researchers and Department of Defense (DoD) research while strengthening science, technology, engineering and mathematics education and workforce development.
The partnership connects Illinois Wesleyan’s tradition of close faculty-student mentorship and undergraduate research with CERL’s expertise in science and engineering. Through the agreement, students and faculty—particularly those working in IWU’s CERL-related areas of research—may collaborate with CERL researchers on real-world scientific and engineering challenges while gaining exposure to federal research careers.
Education Partnership Agreements enable federal laboratories to work with educational institutions to strengthen STEM education and workforce development. CERL is part of ERDC, which oversees the laboratory within the DoD. The agreement also establishes a pathway for Illinois Wesleyan to participate as a member of the ERDC Graduate Institute, supporting graduate-level study and research in scientific and engineering areas of mutual interest.
Potential activities include student internships, faculty sabbaticals, participation in CERL research and technology transfer projects, development of academic courses and materials, and academic credit for student work on defense laboratory projects.
The partnership encompasses biology, chemistry, environmental studies, neuroscience, psychology, physics, mathematics, computer science and data science, with potential collaboration involving the Petrick Idea Center and Fisher Quantum Center.
“At Illinois Wesleyan, we pride ourselves on giving students hands-on learning opportunities and access to research that connects with real-world problems,” said IWU Provost John Miles. “Our faculty actively involve students in their research and support them as mentors. This partnership supports the type of discovery and impact that our new Petrick Idea Center and Fisher Quantum Center are distinctly designed for, and illustrates our ongoing legacy of mobilizing a small liberal arts environment to contribute to meaningful workforce development.”
As the agreement develops, IWU and CERL will identify additional areas of mutual interest and create opportunities that connect the University’s academic strengths with CERL’s research capabilities and mission-focused challenges.
“This partnership creates new opportunities for ERDC to connect talented students and faculty with the research challenges we are working to solve for the Army and the nation,” Director of ERDC’s Construction Engineer Research Laboratory Andrew Nelson said. “By building those connections early, we can provide students with meaningful research experiences while also strengthening the STEM workforce that will be needed to address future national challenges.”
The partnership builds on Illinois Wesleyan’s commitment to undergraduate research, interdisciplinary learning and hands-on experiences.