Professional Development Opportunities

The CAAT supports and funds academic, general public, and industry outreach education and professional development. This page will list the CAAT’s recent and upcoming professional development efforts for industry. These may include conferences, workshops, and more. If you are interested in professional development for educators, please visit our Professional Development Opportunities for Educators page for educators.

2022 CAAT Conference

Preparing Technicians for Electric Vehicle Technology

September 30, 2022

Macomb Community College
Warren, MI

The 2022 CAAT Conference was held on Friday, September 30 at Macomb Community College in Warren, MI, for automotive industry representatives as well as secondary and post-secondary auto educators, counselors, and administrators.

Professional Development Workshop

September 30 - October 1, 2022

In addition to the conference this year we offered a Professional Development Workshop on Electric Vehicles and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems immediately following the conference Friday afternoon and finishing on Saturday. Attendees at all three sessions received a certificate of completion accredited by Wayne State University.

• Electric Vehicles - Part 1
  1. Overview of electrified vehicles and their characteristics
  2. Motor drives and power electronics for electrified vehicles
  3. Advanced battery systems for hybrid and battery electric vehicles
• Electric Vehicles - Part 2
  1. Fuel cell electric vehicles and hydrogen as an energy carrier
  2. Fuel cells versus batteries for electric vehicle energy and power
  3. Coupling renewable energy to the advancement of fuel cell and other electric vehicles
• Advanced Driver Assistance Systems
  • How sensors such as cameras, radar, and Lidar, along with computer-controlled devices can assist the driver at different levels of automation
  • How adding wireless connectivity to other vehicles, the infrastructure, and precision global positioning information can increase the level of automation to the level that the vehicle can drive itself
  • The need for cybersecurity as vehicles use wireless technology and become increasingly connected to the outside world to reduce vulnerability to hackers

Download Presentations

Download Workshop

2020 CAAT Conference
Preparing Technicians for Autonomous Technologies

May 8, 2020

Join us for the 2020 CAAT Conference Preparing Technicians for Autonomous Technologies. The conference will be held the morning of Friday, May 8, at Macomb Community College's center campus in Clinton Twp, Michigan. There is no cost to attend, but registration is required due to limited seating. Register now to save your seat!

The conference is targeted to automotive industry representatives and secondary and post-secondary automotive educators and administrators. Representatives from automotive-related government and professional organizations are also encouraged to attend.

For detailed information about the conference and to register, please visit our  2020 CAAT Conference web page today!

The conference includes presentations by:

• Richard Blust, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems North America, Test and Validation Manager, Continental
• Michele Mueller, Senior Project Manager, Connected and Automated Vehicles, Michigan Department of Transportation
• Jessica Robinson, Executive Director, Michigan Mobility Institute
• National Center for Autonomous Technologies:
  • Jonathon Beck, Director, National Center for Technologies (Air)
  • Chris Hadfield, Director, Minnesota State Transportation Center of Excellence (Land)
  • Jill Zande, President and Executive Director, Marine Advanced Technology Education Center (Sea)
• Michelle Economou Ureste, Executive Director, Workforce Intelligence Network

  Conference Information

2019 CAAT Conference
Is Electrification the Future?

May 10, 2019

The 2019 CAAT Conference: Is Electrification the Future?  held the morning of Friday, May 10, at Macomb Community College's south campus in Warren, Michigan reached over 125 attendees who gave it a collective thumbs up.

Industry and state leaders spoke about the:

• Automotive industry’s continued focus on and growth of electric vehicles (EVs).
• Current status of market acceptance of EVs.
• EV charging network, fast charging, charge rate and range anxiety.
• MiSTEM Network, the Michigan STEM Advisory Council and the state’s STEM programming that is helping to make the state a world leader in STEM education.
• Many STEM activities in Michigan that focus on developing skills that will help students gain proficiency in collaboration, questioning, problem-solving, and critical thinking that will better prepare them for the many STEM jobs that are currently and will continue to be available to meet the needs of industry.
• Michigan Workforce Development Agency’s efforts to work directly with federal, state, and local partners to implement workforce and education programs and develop policies that align with, and support, the state’s key workforce strategies.

For detailed information about the conference and to download the presentations, please visit our  2019 CAAT Conference web page today!

The event featured keynote speaker, Jeff Lowinger, President, eMobility, Vehicle Group, Eaton.

And included presentations by:

• Megan Schrauben, Executive Director, MiSTEM Network for the State of Michigan
• Stephanie Beckhorn, Director, Workforce Development Agency, State of Michigan

  Conference Information

Top

Michigan Society of Professional Engineers, March Chapter
The Road to Autonomous Vehicles

March 6, 2019

March's presentation allowed the attendees to learn about the numerous automated systems currently in cars and what new technology will be added to Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) that improve driver and passenger safety. Connected and autonomous vehicles have 5 levels of ADAS. Some of the benefits form autonomous vehicles are increased safety and road capacity, driver relief to do other tasks, and the removal of constraints for those who are unable to drive. Autonomous vehicles are connected to other vehicles, road infrastructure, mapping systems, traffic, weather, and entertainment. The data generated from all these connections pose cybersecurity issues as well as the potential for vehicle errors from software and weather conditions.

Mr. Feldmaier is the director of the Center for Advanced Automotive Technology (CAAT) at Macomb Community College. Prior to joining the CAAT in August 2012, Mr. Feldmaier was an independent automotive consultant advising companies such as ABB, ECOtality, and Ducker Worldwide. He also served as a chief engineer at Tesla Motors from October 2008 to July 2009, where he was responsible for Model S.

Bob retired from Chrysler Corporation in 2008, where he was a chief engineer for 22 years. His responsibilities included total product and program management for his product lines, managing $1.5 billion in program spending. He led the electric vehicle program for three years, creating the EPIC minivan. Later as minivan chief engineer, he led the Stow ’n Go seat program. In his last assignment, he put the first Chrysler hybrid electric vehicles into production. Mr. Feldmaier also worked at Volkswagen for seven years.

Bob holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University and an MBA from Wayne State University. He is on the Purdue Alumni Association Board of Directors. He is a registered Professional Engineer and a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers.

Top

2018 CAAT Conference
Testing Tomorrow's Autonomous Vehicles Today

April 20, 2018

The 2018 CAAT Conference on Testing Tomorrow's Autonomous Vehicles Today! The conference was held the morning of Friday, April 20, at Macomb Community College's south campus in Warren, Michigan. 

The conference was targeted to automotive industry representatives and secondary and post-secondary automotive educators and administrators. Representatives from automotive-related government and professional organizations were also encouraged to attend.

For detailed information about the conference and to download the presentations, please visit our  2018 CAAT Conference web page today!

The event featured keynote speaker, Carla Bailo, President and CEO, Center for Automotive Research, speaking on the Future of Mobility.

And included presentations on:

• Testing Autonomous Vehicles
• Autonomous Vehicle Simulation Testing
• Impact on the Workforce
• STEM Activities in Southeast Michigan

  Conference Information

Top

2017 CAAT Conference
Driverless Cars, but What is Driving the Workforce?

April 28, 2017

The event featured keynote speaker, Kay Stepper, Vice President, Head of Regional Business Unit Driver Assistance & Automated Driving at Robert Bosch LLC.

The conference included:

• Technology updates on connected and automated vehicles, fuel cells, and lightweighting. (Macomb Community College)
• Workplace Reports from Oakland Workforce Development/Oakland County Michigan Works! and Workforce Intelligence Network (WIN)
• A panel discussion on workforce needs with representatives from industry and academia
• Curriculum development updates by Macomb Community College

  Conference Information

Top

2016 CAAT Conference
The Road to Autonomous Vehicles

May 6, 2016

This FREE event, offered by the Center for Advanced Automotive Technology (CAAT), was held at Macomb Community College's South Campus in Warren, MI, on Friday, May 6, 2016.

Over 140 participants learned about the many complexities involved in the development of automated and connected vehicles, including the infrastructure needed to support these high tech vehicles. There are also many legal, insurance and cybersecurity concerns that must be addressed by the industry and government before full implementation of autonomous (self-driving) vehicles can occur.  The conference included a keynote presentation on the future of the automotive industry by Jeff Klei, President of Continental North America, and three Tech Talk sessions on the Challenges, Infrastructure and Cyber Security of automated and connected vehicles.  Our impressive lineup of Tech Talk speakers and panelists provided insights on these complex issues from industry, government and educator perspectives providing attendees with the information necessary to assess the technical training needs of future workers in advanced automotive technology.

More information

Top

Free Technical Briefing presented by Alcoa and the asbe Foundation
Lightweighting with Aluminum

Thursday, October 15, 2015, 5:30-8:00 pm
Oakland Community College
Auburn Hills Campus (Building G)
2900 Featherstone Rd.
Auburn Hills, MI 48326-2845

Sponsored by the American Society of Body Engineers Foundation (asbe Foundation) with support from the Alcoa Foundation.

This event was attended by nearly 50 people, and featured the following presentations:

Aluminum Sheet - The Lighter Weigh to Meet CAFÉ

  by Shawn J. Murtha, Alcoa Foundation

Joining the Aluminum Revolution

  by Gregory Fata, Alcoa Foundation

The presentations highlighted a new Micromill product which is a high strength aluminum with greatly improved manufacturing processes, information on joining technologies, and Alcoa 951, a pre-treatment to improve adhesive bonding.

Top

2015 CAAT Conference
Future Cars, Future Workforce

2015 CAAT Conference a Great Success!

The CAAT hosted its annual conference this year on May 1, 2015.  We were pleased to have approximately 130 attendees representing 11 States and 2 Countries, 11 universities, 18 community colleges, 9 School Districts, and 25 industry employers.

We hope you found this year's CAAT Conference to be both enjoyable and informative! We invite everyone to check out the conference presentations, we have posted all of them on the CAAT website so you can explore the information or share it with a colleague or friend who may find it useful. To view or download the presentations from the 2015 CAAT Conference, please visit our Conference Resources page on the CAAT website.

Thank you to our conference sponsors for their participation and ongoing support of this annual event.

• Center for Automotive Research
• Design and Manufacturing Alliance
• SAE International

Last but certainly not least, we would like to send a very special "thank you" to our conference speakers, who shared a wealth of information with our conference attendees on the current direction of the automotive industry, and the workforce needed to support the many new and emerging advances in automotive technology.

• Jeff Gilbert, Reporter for WWJ Newsradio 950 and CBS Radio News
• Robert Healey, Head of EV Infrastructure, BMW NA
• Matt Smith, Program Manager, Michigan Department of Transportation
• Kristin Dziczek, Director, Industry and Labor Group, Center for Automotive Research

Top

CAAT to Sponsor/Host Michigan Robotics Industry Executive Forum

The 2015 Michigan Robotics Industry Executive Forum: Michigan Strengths and Weaknesses for Global Competition in Robotics, will be held on April 7, from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., at Macomb Community College's John Lewis Community Center at it's South Campus in Warren, MI. The event is made possible through a partnership between the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS), the Macomb County Department of Planning & Economic Development, and the Center for Advanced Automotive Technology at Macomb Community College. Approximately 100 people are expected to attend.

Join us to learn about opportunities for Michigan to become a global leader in advanced robotics. The event will feature panel discussions, special guest speakers, and demonstrations of robotics and autonomous vehicle technology. The cost to attend is $25. Breakfast and lunch will be provided.

View the agenda.

Top

Free Evening Seminar by the asbe Foundation and the CAAT
Lightweighting: The Implications for Automotive Design Development

Wednesday, October 15, 2014, 5:30-8:00 p.m.
Macomb Community College
Center Campus Cultural Center (Building K)
44575 Garfield Rd.
Clinton Township, MI 48038-1130

This event provided networking and technical briefings on two of the automotive industry’s hottest topics: advanced materials and joining technologies.

* Complimentary hors d’ oeuvres and refreshments were provided by the CAAT * 

Sponsored by the American Society of Body Engineers Foundation (asbe Foundation) with support from the CAAT.

This event was attended by nearly 60 people and featured a technical presentation on “Overview of Advanced Materials and Joining Technology” by Mark Stevens of the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) and another by Matt Zaluzec from Ford Motor Company and Jeff Conklin from Vehma International on the “25% Weight Saving Ford Fusion Project.” The technical presentations were followed by a lively question and answer session. A survey completed at the conclusion of the seminar showed that of the seminar attendees who completed the survey:

• 86% rated the overall seminar as either extremely valuable or very valuable
• 85% indicated that their knowledge and awareness of lightweighting technologies had increased to a large extent or a very large extent.

View the presentation materials.

Top

2014 CAAT Conference
You Can't See the Future in the Rearview Mirror

This free conference by the Center for Advanced Automotive Technology (CAAT) was held at Macomb Community College's South Campus on May 2, 2014. The event was targeted towards automotive industry workforce development representatives as well as secondary and postsecondary automotive educators, counselors, and school administrators.

The conference theme You Can’t See the Future in the Rearview Mirror was inspired by how the rapid pace of change in the automotive industry will continue and, in many ways will accelerate in part due to increasing fuel economy standards and the new technology needed to meet them. This conference examined the coming era for vehicle manufacturers and suppliers and what these changes in technology mean for educating and training the talent needed to support the industry now and in the future. Presentations were provided by representatives from government, industry, and education in a keynote session and technical session.

To learn more about this conference, visit its page on our website or download the presentations from it in our Resource Library.

Top