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May 10, 2017Advanced Manufacturing Technology Capstone Ceremony Highlights Troy’s Industrial History; Congressman Tonko to Attend Ceremony
The 24th annual Capstone Ceremony will showcase 18 separate 1:50 scale replicas of the steamship USS Monitor created by Advanced Manufacturing Technology students at the college. Built during the Civil War in 1861 for the Union Navy, it was the first turreted ironclad steamship in the world. The contract to finance the iron for the ship was signed in the Manufacturers Bank in its original location on River and King streets in Troy.
Congressman Tonko will join Hudson Valley students, faculty, staff, family and friends, along with local leaders in the Advanced Manufacturing industry, to celebrate the completion of the capstone project and the success of Hudson Valley students. This year, 100 percent of graduating seniors from the Advanced Manufacturing Technology program have secured employment in the field prior to graduation. There are 90 students currently enrolled in the Advanced Manufacturing Technology program, 23 of whom will graduate on Saturday, May 13.
The ceremony is the culmination of the capstone project for seniors in the Advanced Manufacturing Technology program at Hudson Valley, which prepares students to work with advanced machining processes that produce tooling and components used to manufacture everything from electronics and defense equipment to power generators and aerospace apparatus.
The capstone ceremony is a chance for students to be recognized for their achievements and to present their working models to corporate sponsors who make the project possible. This year, more than $3,000 in cash prizes will be presented to students for their academic performance, and 17 USS Monitor models will be presented to sponsors.
As part of the ceremony, Community Hospice will be receiving a check for $6,000 from the Franklin Plaza Ballroom in Troy, the site of the contact signing for the ship, and will receive one of the models donated by the Gene Haas Foundation, a sponsor of the project. This money will go towards sending ten kids to Camp Erin this fall for a retreat to cope with the loss of a loved one during the past year. The model will be on permanent display at the Franklin Plaza Ballroom in the future.
The Capstone Ceremony will take place on Thursday, May 11 at noon at the Hudson Valley Community College Bulmer Telecommunications Center Auditorium.
