03-26-04
Governor Blanco and LSU System President William Jenkins Participate in Signing Ceremony to Renew NCAM

LSU System President William Jenkins addresses attendees. Others L to R are David King (NASA), Congressman William Jefferson, Mayor Ray Nagin, Dennis Deel, (LMSSC-MO), Gov. Kathleen Blanco.
Russell Trahan (Dean UNO College of Engineering), Governor Kathleen Blanco and Bruce Brailsford (NCAM Director) at the signing ceremony.

Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco and Louisiana State University System President William Jenkins participated in the signing ceremony for the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the continuation of the University of New Orleans College of Engineering's National Center for Advanced Manufacturing (NCAM) on Friday, March 26 at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans.

"We want to keep this building working and filled with people. I am very proud to be standing here to say that Louisiana citizens are part of something very big," Blanco said.

NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Director David King hosted the ceremony which was also attended by Congressman William Jefferson; Mayor Ray Nagin; Dennis Deel, President of Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company-Michoud Operations; Dr. Russell Trahan, Dean of UNO College of Engineering; and NCAM Director Bruce Brailsford.

NCAM is a partnership of NASA, the State of Louisiana , UNO and Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company. This partnership was created by the original Memorandum of Understanding in March, 1999.

The objective of NCAM is to develop advanced technologies in order to facilitate jobs creation and enhance both Michoud and Louisiana 's competitiveness for future business opportunities and to strengthen U.S. competitiveness in aerospace commercial markets. This partnership of government, academia and industry has achieved success in this mission through current research technologies including Advanced Fiber Placement and Friction Stir Weld manufacturing technologies.

Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company designs and builds the Space Shuttle External Tank and manages the Michoud facility in New Orleans.

Read a related article in the Marshall Star, a newsletter (pdf) serving the Marshall Space Flight Center community.