Ventura College will host a grand opening celebration and building dedication of its new state-of-the-art Applied Science Center on Thursday, April 21, from 3-4 p.m. at the campus located at 4667 Telegraph Road. The event will include tours, a short presentation and remarks by school administrators, Chancellor Bernard Luskin and Board of Trustees Larry Kennedy, Chair. Established in 1925, Ventura College is one of three colleges in the Ventura County Community College District that include Moorpark College and Oxnard College

“Imagine students welding with a computer instead of a blowtorch and fixing the brakes on a car without touching a vehicle,” said Ventura College President Greg Gillespie. “This is the future of learning in the brand-new, state-of-the-art Applied Science Center at Ventura College.”

The 20,000 square foot center opens to students for the summer 2016 term. The facility is the brainchild of Vice Chancellor of Business and Administrative Services Dave Keebler, and features three types of learning to ensure a deep understanding of a concept or skill: traditional textbook learning, virtual simulator experiences and a hands-on simulation lab where students work with smaller versions of the real project without fear of making costly mistakes.

Features of the center include large glass windows so that passersby can watch students and robots inside the classrooms at work; virtual simulators that provide a 3-D video model that can rotate items; and an Imax projection screen that can be used by college staff, students and the community for training, web conferencing and teleconferencing.

“We are pleased to invite members of our community to the dedication of the Applied Science Center on Thursday, April 21st,” said District Chancellor Bernard Luskin. “The center curriculum was designed to train students for high-demand positions within the manufacturing industry, where demand exceeds the supply,” said Larry Kennedy, Chair, Ventura County Community College District Board of Trustees.

For more information on the Applied Science Center’s Grand Opening or to RSVP, please contact Vice President of Administrative Services Tim Harrison at 805-289-6354 or tharrison@vcccd.edu.

About the Applied Science Center
Funding for the Applied Science Center was approved through the Measure S Bond in 2002. Construction of the Center began in 2014. The Center has three classrooms, an outdoor area that can be used by classes and high-tech Career Technical Center. The Visualization classroom seats 80 students and is equipped with a wall-sized Touch Screen. A lecture hall, which seats 160 students, features two large independent rear screen projectors and will be used for a wide range of classes. The Career Technical Center is a multi-discipline classroom and lab.

About Ventura College
Started in 1925, Ventura College is an accredited two-year institution of higher education within the Ventura County Community College District. The 112-acre campus has an enrollment of 14,500 students. It serves a diverse student body through credit and non-credit offerings. The college offers associate’s degrees in 33 majors, certificates of achievement in 35 career and technical education fields and proficiency awards in 26 fields.