University-industry partnerships across the state are helping to develop new products, improve services and fill crucial skill gaps in a variety of fields. From a collaboration that prepares students for careers in the maritime and port industry to a beta testing arrangement for an innovative materials testing system, institutions of higher learning are working together with businesses and industry associations to provide solutions for next-generation challenges.
In addition, strengthened relations between universities and industry can give students the advantage of a clear path to their first job following graduation. These mutually beneficial relationships improve universities’ educational offerings and prepare graduates to enter the workforce equipped with the skills they need to be successful in their chosen industries.
The University of South Alabama (USA) and the International Association of Maritime and Port Executives (IAMPE) have formally partnered to work on professional development for the maritime and port industry. A non-profit industry association, the IAMPE provides certification for professionals of all career levels working within the maritime port industry. USA and IAMPE signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in October 2024, designating the university as an official academic partner of the IAMPE. Under the terms of the agreement, the IAMPE provides professional certification to students who complete qualifying USA port and terminal management programs. USA provides academic credit toward its degree programs to students who complete IAMPE programs, which are reviewed and approved for certification by the IAMPE’s board of advisors, composed of 19 industry professionals.
“We are thrilled to be working with such a forward-looking institution that shares our value of elevating the port industry,” says IAMPE Executive Director David Arnold. “The port industry benefits from having well-trained and well-informed professionals, and we believe that this collaboration with the University of South Alabama will have a lasting positive impact on the industry.” USA and the IAMPE plan to collaborate on new programs offered by either institution to meet the needs of the global port and maritime industry.
Birmingham-headquartered RxBenefits, a leading pharmacy benefits optimizer in the employee benefits industry, has partnered with Samford University’s McWhorter School of Pharmacy to provide students advanced training in pharmacy benefits management. On January 29, RxBenefits leadership and Samford University President Beck A. Taylor, Senior Associate Provost Marci Johns, Dean Michael Crouch and McWhorter School of Pharmacy faculty, students and staff gathered to dedicate a new RxBenefits Suite in the College of Health Sciences. The suite was designed by Samford and RxBenefits to provide a dedicated space for the Population Health Outcomes rotation, a managed care-focused component of the Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience. McWhorter School of Pharmacy is the only school of its kind in the nation to require this hands-on rotation.
Taylor spoke at the unveiling event, thanking RxBenefits for their support and partnership. “We are proud to be at the forefront of innovation,” said Taylor. “This unique learning experience offers real-world training, and our partnership with RxBenefits gives students access to cutting-edge practices and expertise in Pharmacy Benefits Management.”
The RxBenefits Suite is used by students for group journal clubs, virtual meetings and Drug-A-Minute presentations, the final project of the Population Health Outcomes rotation. Also, students can use the space to study together.
Samford’s partnership with RxBenefits helps students even after they graduate from the program. The company, which employs more than 1,000 experts nationwide, offers post-graduate managed care pharmacy residency programs to prepare the graduates to collaborate with employee benefit consultants and self-funded clients to deliver affordable, top-tier pharmacy benefits.
“This collaborative space represents a powerful union of academic excellence and industry innovation, where future pharmacists will gain transformative learning experiences that bridge pharmacy education and real-world experience in managed care and population health outcomes,” says Dee Dugan, professor and chair of the Department of Pharmacy Practice.
In January, the University of Alabama (UA) announced it would be collaborating with Dynamic Systems Inc. (DSI), a leading provider of advanced materials testing solutions and a subsidiary of Vishay Precision Group Inc. to beta test the company’s new standalone Ultra High Temperature Ceramic and Composite (UHTC) system for the development and testing of non-conductive materials, including ceramics. Pushing the boundaries of material testing, this solution enables research and development at temperatures exceeding 2000°C.
“The University of Alabama is excited to collaborate with Dynamic Systems Inc. in offering a rapid means for ceramic thermomechanical testing,” says Dr. Bryan Boudouris, vice president for research and economic development at UA. “The materials processing and advanced characterization capabilities of the Alabama Materials Institute, combined with the commercialization and testing development expertise of Dynamic Systems Inc., will positively impact ceramic development across a range of applications, from energy to aerospace.” With its partnership with UA, DSI furthers its commitment to advancing materials testing and fostering innovation in high-performance industries.
Auburn University’s chemical engineering department has a long-standing partnership with IntraMicron Inc., an engineering development technology company that was founded in 2001 to commercialize materials developed at the university. A research team from Auburn worked with IntraMicron on a battery system that can manage massive thermal loads like those used or discharged during use of directed-energy weapons.
“Our technology provides a safe and effective means to remove that heat, which prevents one battery from getting so hot that it might blow up and then cause all the other 275 batteries in the pack to ignite, as well,” says Bruce Tatarchuk, IntraMicron chief executive officer and director of Auburn University’s Center for Microfibrous Materials Manufacturing and the Charles Gavin III Endowed Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering.
Designed to prevent battery failures while enabling cells to operate at peak current and power outputs, this system enables up to a four-fold increase in power density. In defense missions, electrical energy storage is used to provide a high-density cooling capacity for battle systems.
At IntraMicron, Auburn co-op students, graduate students and staff engineers work together on projects with defense industry applications. “The military is concerned about workforce development and the strategic supply and access to people versed in technology,” says Tatarchuk. “The fact that we can align the student educational experience with the critical workforce needs of the future is a big deal, as is the development of new technologies.”
Kathleen Farrell is a Mobile-based freelance contributor to Business Alabama.
This article appears in the April 2025 issue of Business Alabama.
