Morgan State University starts smart campus transformation with Siemens
Victoria Rees
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Morgan State Uni has revealed details of security and system upgrades on its Baltimore, Maryland, campus as part of its 10-year plan to become fully smart and connected.
MSU’s 10-year strategic plan, ‘Transformation Morgan 2030: Leading the Future,’ is umbrellaed under a master service agreement between Maryland Clean Energy Center, Siemens and MSU to support the university’s campus transformation. It includes implementing a series of modernization upgrades to the university’s heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC), security, fire and life safety systems with a focus on energy efficiency, resiliency and sustainability.
Like many other higher education institutions, MSU must contend with significant deferred maintenance and infrastructure needs, said Siemens in a press statement. Finance for the project has been part-organized through Siemens financial services arm.
“COVID-19 helped accelerate the need for repairs and upgrades as facilities and equipment remained dormant or underutilized due to a campus closure. With the aid of Federal COVID Relief funding, the university has been able to address some areas of concern, such as improving indoor air quality.
“However, there is more work to be done. By way of its partnership with Siemens, MSU is taking proactive steps towards becoming a state-of-the-art smart campus focused on energy efficiency and production through systems integration and digitalization with substantial investments in clean and renewable solutions.”
“In our strategic plan we set a deliberate goal of improving campus-wide infrastructure to support operational excellence and increase overall institutional capacity” says David Wilson, Ed.D, president of Morgan State University. “One of the ways in which this can be accomplished is through strategic investment in our campus facilities. In order to grow into the leaders that they are destined to be, our students require a healthy, safe, secure, and resilient campus setting. Working in partnership with Siemens in developing a more sustainable learning/instructional environment for our community moves us in a positive direction.”
Paul Hayes is president, Regional Solutions & Services, Americas for Siemens Smart Infrastructure USA. He said: “The vision of this partnership in the areas of energy conservation, decarbonization and STEM education will serve as a model for a Smart Campus by underlining our common commitment to sustainability and society. We are proud to have a contributing role in MSU’s long-term strategic plan for institutional success. With a focus on helping institutions achieve their sustainability targets, Siemens Financial Services (SFS) – the financing arm of Siemens – is providing capital for this project.”
“Sustainability and decarbonization have been core initiatives for Siemens for many years,” says Head of SFS Commercial Finance Americas, Markus Edstrom. “We are happy to see institutions such as MSU taking the initiative to reduce their carbon footprint by focusing on their energy efficiency, which falls directly in line with SFS’ vision to help even more small and medium-sized enterprises transition to net-zero in the future.”
MSU remains top-ranked among Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) for producing African-American graduates in electrical, civil, and industrial engineering. Siemens, through support of the Siemens Empower Program, has collaborated with Morgan’s Clarence M. Mitchell, Jr. School of Engineering to organize Mechatronics: PLC Programming Training for students pursuing a degree in Mechatronics Engineering.
The training familiarizes students with the Siemens S7-based learning system—covering such areas as programmable logic controller (PLC) operation, PLC programming, event sequencing, timer/counter PLC instructions and I/O simulators. The training begins this summer.
For more information about Siemens Smart Infrastructure and its partnership finance options you can discover more here www.siemens.com/smartinfrastructure
Morgan State Universit: In preparation for the workforce demands of today and the careers of tomorrow, Morgan offers more than 140 academic degree programs for traditional and nontraditional students. It is also Maryland’s Preeminent Public Urban Research University engages in the pursuit of discovery, innovation and solutions that improve and impact lives. Discover more HERE.
