Press Releases

For Immediate Release
Press Contact:
Alka Joshi
650-224-7580 cell
408-270-6413 direct
alka.joshi@evc.edu

EVC Awarded $400K Grant for Ground-Breaking Technology in Land Surveying

San Jose, CA – Amidst stiff competition, Evergreen Valley College has been awarded a $381,774 grant from the National Science Foundation’s Advanced Technological Education program to enhance their land survey curriculum with the latest, state-of-the-art technology. With this prestigious award, received by only 10% of NSF applicants, EVC will set a national precedent with their Land Survey Program, the only such program in the South Bay.

Dr. David Wain Coon, President of Evergreen Valley College, said, “At EVC, we’re anticipating advances in technology that will allow us to prepare students for jobs based on market demands. This grant means our students can now receive a 2-year AS Degree in Land Surveying and be hired immediately. We also believe in nurturing our students’ penchant for working outdoors and embracing technology.”

EVC Engineering professor Dr. John Yu is leading the project. “Land Surveying is a major growth industry that commands starting salaries of $50 to $60K. By incorporating the latest technology we are leading the way for young students to enter the growing job market.” He notes that the project would not be successful were it not for the support of EVC’s President David Wain Coon and the administration.

This is a collaborative project between industry and education institutions. Trimble, an advanced technology company, is matching the NSF in kind on 3-D laser scanning and other surveying equipment. Jerry Miller, coordinator of the Surveying Program at Santa Rosa Community College, partnered with EVC to offer his expertise: “The grant allows EVC to develop a program with curriculum and formatting, setting a standard for Survey Programs fluent in instruction and materials, so that other colleges don’t have to reinvent the wheel.”

Because EVC is the premier two-year institution to use 3-D laser scanning technology, the course and teaching materials that will be developed through the program will be shared with colleges throughout the country via websites, workshops, and CD-ROM. The 3-D Laser Scanning technology is a cutting-edge tool that uses lasers to obtain distance measurement at thousands of points per second. Other technologies that the grant will buy are GPS, GIS, and CAD.

The 2-year associate degree program in land surveying will offer lucrative career opportunities. Santa Cruz County Land Survey Technician Devin Henderson, who received his Certificate in Land Surveying from EVC in Spring of 2006, believes that: “The role of the school is to develop students in all facets of a career and that’s what EVC is doing really well by offering the latest technology.”

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ABOUT Evergreen Valley College

With student learning as its primary focus, Evergreen Valley College’s mission is to empower students to expand their human potential and to succeed in a global, multicultural society. The College, which sits on a picturesque 175-acre site in the eastern foothills of San Jose, provides access to comprehensive and flexible post-secondary education to prepare students of all ages and backgrounds for balanced and productive lives and to improve the workforce and quality of life in our community.