Baylor University has always competed for research projects with the likes of Texas A&M, Texas Tech and the University of Texas. Not so much anymore.

“Today, Baylor and other universities welcome joint collaborations because in many cases it has really become the United States against the world,” says Dr. Truell Hyde, Baylor University vice provost of research. “That's why here at Baylor we’ve embarked upon the Baylor Research & Innovation Collaborative, or BRIC, to have talented students from different institutions boost research efforts to an even higher level.”

In 2011, a Baylor alum gave the university an old General Tire manufacturing plant in Waco that was constructed in the 1940s to support the war effort, but had been sitting idle since 1985. Hyde says the 300,000-square-foot building and its 22 acres are being transformed into the university’s top-flight BRIC research facility.

“Even though the General Tire plant is rough due to 25 years of sitting idle, it is saving the university millions of dollars by retrofitting it to our needs instead of constructing an all-new research building,” he says. “The old building has a phenomenal amount of concrete and steel in the foundation, which is great. It is architecturally strong.”

Collaborative Workforce Training
The first phase of renovation at the old site is currently underway at a cost of $34 million and will be completed in the first quarter of 2012. The ultimate plan for the building (it will officially be called the Baylor Research & Innovation Collaborative) is to lease sections to interested colleges and universities.

“For example, 45,000 square feet will be set aside for Texas State Technical College for their workforce training efforts in robotics, electrical engineering and computer science,” Hyde says. “Those are hot careers that are challenging, high-paying and much in demand for students upon graduation.”

Aerospace and Wind Energy Training
Texas State Technical College is also involved in a $12.5 million project to construct an 82,500-square-foot Texas Aerospace Technology Center of Excellence at TSTC Waco Airport. The center will support FAA-certified research, high-tech aviation and aerospace workforce training.

Texas State Technical was also one of three schools nationwide to just win a seal of approval from the American Wind Energy Association for its wind technician training program.

“Our wind technician training is actually focused at our Sweetwater campus in western Texas, where nature's strong winds are, while our Waco campus is focusing on solar energy,” says Ron Sanders, TSTC Waco vice president for student learning. “Speaking of all our technology efforts, Community College Week magazine just announced its Top 100 Associate Degree Producers for two-year colleges in America, and TSTC Waco ranked No. 1 in engineering technology.”

Other University, College Partnerships
Several other educational institutions throughout the Heart of Texas are sending skilled graduates into the job market. McLennan Community College partners with four-year institutions such as Texas Tech to offer advanced degrees, while Hill College prepares students for professional and technical fields at its campuses in Hillsboro, Cleburne and Meridian.

“Colleges, universities and tech centers throughout this region are training students for excellent careers,” Truell says. “Many industries are hiring these students immediately upon graduation.”