Kettering University will get a new electronics lab and will partner with the University of Michigan on new courses as it share in the $1 billion from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Kettering University will receive about $500,000 of a $2.5 million grant from federal stimulus money, according to an announcement Wednesday in Detroit by Vice President Joe Biden.  The announcement is part of $1 billion that is coming to Michigan from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Kettering will share in a grant that was awarded to the University of Michigan for the creation of 10 courses on hybrid electronics, batteries and green power. About half the courses will be taught at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, with others taught at the university’s Dearborn campus and in Flint at Kettering. Two laboratories will be developed to support graduate and undergraduate courses, some of which could begin as soon as winter semester.

Dr. Gover, a professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, said the creation of a new hybrid vehicle power electronics laboratory will upgrade the teaching of three currently existing hybrid vehicle/power electronics courses at Kettering.  Additionally, the funding will develop two new hybrid vehicle courses, he explained. 

“Other courses are being developed in Ann Arbor and Dearborn,” he continued.  “The courses will be transferred to Kettering for our use in hybrid vehicle education.  Of course, all of these courses can be adapted to continuing education courses that are offered to companies.  When this work is completed, the State of Michigan will have several universities with leading-edge hybrid vehicle education programs and research facilities.  Hopefully,” he said, “this will lead to plug hybrid vehicles assembled in Michigan with the batteries, power electronics, IGBT switches and electric machines all manufactured in our state.”