Michelin Teams Up With Clemson, USC to Create Sustainability Course

Students in the class will visit tire manufacturing facilities, meet professionals in the industry, and listen to guest speakers throughout the semester. "One SC to Sustain" will be a unique opportunity for students to learn to work across disciplines and come up with recommended improvements for the tire industry. Officials from Michelin and the two universities met on Nov. 18 at Michelin's North American headquarters in Greenville, S.C., to kick off the One SC to Sustain collaborative project.

Michael Fanning, director of sustainable development for Michelin North America, spoke about the company's commitment to responsible industrial operations.

"As the global demand for transportation rises, Michelin is committed to making mobility cleaner, safer, and more affordable and accessible," said Fanning. "Sustainable mobility is not only our corporate mission; it is part of our everyday operations and culture. This collaboration with Clemson and USC is an extension of our efforts to produce tires more sustainably."

This type of hands-on learning will provide students with valuable experience prior to graduation and the chance to work on projects for which they have a passion. However, the long-term goals of the project are focused on influencing the tire industry in South Carolina, with Clemson, USC and Michelin leading the way.

Gregory Mocko, Ph.D., an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Clemson, will teach the first section of the class and is helping oversee the collaboration.

"This is a great opportunity for students to get real-world experience in a highly relevant field," said Mocko. "South Carolina is the No. 1 state for tire manufacturing. We see this as a fertile ground for innovation that could make the whole tire industry more sustainable. Michelin brought together the two universities to work on this issue, which speaks volumes about its potential and importance to the tire industry."

In addition, Paul Ziehl, Ph.D., a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of South Carolina, has also been instrumental in developing the course curriculum.

"This class will bring students from different majors together to more closely represent an actual working environment," said Ziehl. "All students will benefit greatly from partnering with Michelin to address these important, real-life issues."

The initiative, "One SC to Sustain," officially launches in January 2017 with an inaugural class of 31 students.

About Michelin North America

Dedicated to the improvement of sustainable mobility, Michelin designs, manufactures and sells tires for every type of vehicle, including airplanes, automobiles, bicycles, earthmovers, farm equipment, heavy-duty trucks and motorcycles. The company has earned a long-standing reputation for building innovative premium tires. Since 1989, Michelin has received 80 J.D. Power tire customer satisfaction awards—five times the number of all other tire manufacturers combined. In addition to tires, the company also publishes travel guides, hotel and restaurant guides, maps and road atlases. Headquartered in Greenville, S.C., Michelin North America (www.michelinman.com) employs about 22,700 and operates 20 major manufacturing plants.

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SOURCE Michelin North America

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