<p>*The University of Alabama, The University of Alabama in Huntsville and Auburn University have launched a consortium that will join the three schools together to compete among the top aerospace programs in the country.</p>
<p>John Jackson, a professor and alumnus of the University of Alabama, said this agreement has been 18 years in the making. Separately, the only three aerospace programs in the state did not have the resources or means to compete among the top schools in the nation. With this agreement, the three schools will work together to help the state be more competitive in the aerospace field.</p>
<p>“Because of the consortium, we can now compete against the top schools such as MIT and Georgia Tech,” Jackson said.</p>
<p>The purpose of the partnership is to bring the three colleges together and make it possible to share resources, courses and faculty.</p>
<p>According to Stanley Jones, head of the aerospace engineering and mechanics department, a program is already in the works to offer a class that will allow students from all three schools to be taught by one professor, which will be implemented in the spring 2012 semester.</p>
<p>This program is said to be the first of its kind in the state and will primarily benefit the Ph.D. program.</p>
<p>*</p>
<p>It may directly affect the PhD program, the the trickle down effects onto undergrad and masters programs will surely be felt in a positive manner.</p>
<p>The state of Alabama, UAH in particular, is in the final downselect for the National Solar Observatory. Several univerities were in the original downselect, but now only UColorado and UAH are under consideration.</p>
<p>Fingers-crossed for that as well.</p>