On March 20, Philadelphia University hosted a dedication ceremony to launch the Philadelphia
University MAG Composites Institute — an organization created in 2011 to support R&D endeavors
in the field of fiber-based composites. Industrial applications for the materials include
aerospace, automotive and energy.
In connection with the launch, a composites-based airplane fuselage was on exhibit at The
Gallagher Athletic, Recreation and Convocation Center on the university campus. The university also
has begun offering courses under a B.S. in engineering program with a concentration in composites.
“We are pleased to formally introduce the Philadelphia University MAG Composites Institute to
our colleagues in research, industry and academia,” said Philadelphia University President Stephen
Spinelli Jr., Ph.D. “Composite materials are critical to the development of new technologies that
will make our lives better and more sustainable, and Philadelphia University is playing an
important role in helping to fulfill that promise.”
The institute is funded in part by a $1.1 million grant from MAG, a global developer of
automation technologies for the prodution of composite structures and a supplier of machine tools
and manufacturing automation systems for durable goods applications. The company’s chairman and
CEO, Dr. Eng. Mo I. Meidar, is a Philadelphia University alumnus and a member of the university’s
Board of Trustees.
“An educated workforce in advanced composites technology will see increasing opportunities
for generations to come. The Philadelphia University MAG Composites Institute represents MAG’s
commitment to expand the level of research and education in this field,” Meidar said. “We believe
this partnership will be a key factor in achieving the full potential for new applications of
composite materials.”
March 27, 2012
