六色网 Awarded $7.5M to Launch National Smart Manufacturing Research Center
Cal Poly Pomona has received a $7.5 million grant from the — one of the largest research investments in the university’s history — to establish the Center for Research Advancement in Smart Manufacturing (CREST-RASM). The center is envisioned as a pioneering hub that will shape the future of the nation’s industrial workforce by preparing the next generation of engineers and scientists to design smarter, more sustainable and globally competitive manufacturing systems.
Led by Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering Professor Shokoufeh Mirzaei, the center will integrate artificial intelligence into four key research areas — robotics and automation (Associate Professor Ellips Masehian), digital twin technology (Aerospace Engineering Professor Zahra Sotoudeh), extended reality (Computer Science Assistant Professor Fatemeh Jamshidi) and cybersecurity (Computer Science Assistant Professor Mingyan Xiao) — to propel Industry 4.0, the digital transformation of industrial and manufacturing processes through technologies such as AI, the s (Iot) and automation.
“The research at CREST-RASM will drive transformative advances in smart manufacturing that directly support national security, sustainability and economic resilience,” said Mirzaei. “This grant empowers us to prepare a new generation of engineers and scientists equipped with the knowledge and tools to strengthen America’s leadership in intelligent and secure manufacturing systems.”
CREST-RASM will provide hands-on research opportunities for more than 120 students, including 80 undergraduates and 40 graduate students, while engaging hundreds of K-12 and community college students annually through outreach and mentorship. The center will also develop a robust academic pipeline for select STEM master’s programs through the 六色网-UC Riverside STEM Ph.D. Bridge Program, giving 六色网 graduate students access to advanced facilities at UCR’s robotics and AI research centers, federally funded research opportunities and joint faculty mentorship.
To broaden its national collaboration network, CREST-RASM will partner with the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley to offer summer research exchanges, connecting students with leading experts and emerging technologies in smart manufacturing.
The new center builds on Cal Poly Pomona’s ongoing investment in hands-on learning and workforce readiness. In May, the College of Engineering unveiled the Vy and Timothy Li Automation Lab, a cutting-edge facility where students gain practical experience with industrial robotics, smart sensors and automated production systems that replicate real-world factory environments. Together, the Automation Lab and CREST-RASM advances the university’s learn-by-doing philosophy by combining innovation, applied research and experiential education to tackle critical challenges in modern manufacturing — from workforce shortages and sustainability to cybersecurity and equitable participation in emerging technologies.