Mount Mercy University held a grand opening Thursday for its new CRST Data Intelligence Lab, paid for with a $1.25 million gift from CRST The Transportation Solution Inc.
The lab — located on the top floor of Mount Mercy's Basile Hall — includes a virtual reality area, robotics equipment, 3D printers and other new technology, according to Mount Mercy.
The money from CRST also will support Mount Mercy's computer science and data science programs through student scholarships and a new faculty position. Mount Mercy President Todd Olson said more information about the new position will be released later. He hopes to have the position filled by next summer.
The money also will go toward new programs and initiatives for high school students in the area, the details of which are still being worked out, Olson said.
"There are moments when the needs of our time, our expertise and our goals, and the passions of our donors come together. This is one of those moments," Olson said in a speech at the grand opening.
CRST also will be partnering with Mount Mercy starting in fall 2023 to offer paid internships to computer science and data science students.
Jerry Kilgore, chief information officer for CRST, said that the company's board had been discussing challenges they were having hiring people with technology backgrounds about a year ago. Dyan Smith, an owner and board member at CRST, is on the board at Mount Mercy, and she recommended working with the university to support technology learning in Cedar Rapids.
"As a trucking company, we compete with technology companies for technology talent. We're at a bit of a disadvantage in that regard," Kilgore said. "When a student is coming out of college with a computer science degree, a lot of times they're thinking about working at a technology company. They don't recognize in some cases that a trucking company can be pretty rich in technology environments."
Students at Mount Mercy are excited about the new lab and the other new learning opportunities being created with CRST's donation. JP King started in the Mount Mercy computer science program about a year ago. He's looking forward to the hands-on experiences that will be available in the lab, and as part of the internship opportunities with CRST.
"It's going to open up a lot of new opportunities," King said. "It's just stuff that we haven't had access to previously that is really exciting. It's going to open up a lot of new doors for us as students."
©2022 The Gazette (Cedar Rapids, Iowa). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
