{"id":11612,"date":"2024-07-24T15:19:46","date_gmt":"2024-07-24T20:19:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/news\/?p=11612"},"modified":"2025-05-06T14:11:10","modified_gmt":"2025-05-06T19:11:10","slug":"center-for-convergent-technology-named-after-tim-houlne-86","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/news\/2024\/07\/24\/center-for-convergent-technology-named-after-tim-houlne-86\/","title":{"rendered":"Center for Convergent Technology named after Tim Houlne \u201986\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"tim

Tim Houlne ’86 speaks at Missouri Western July 24, 2024, in the Houlne Center for Convergent Technology. The name of the building previously known as CTAC honors Houlne’s role in the field of artificial intelligence and his significant financial support of the project.<\/p><\/div>\n

July 24, 2024–A new building at Missouri Western State University to serve workforce development needs in the region will bear the name of a Missouri Western alumnus who supported the project with one of the largest donations in the University\u2019s history. The building formerly known as the Convergent Technology Alliance Center (CTAC) will be known as the Houlne Center for Convergent Technology, in honor of Tim Houlne, an entrepreneur, author and visionary in the field of artificial intelligence.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Houlne Center for Convergent Technology will help Missouri Western prepare the next generation of Tim Houlnes, not only in AI and cybersecurity but in advanced manufacturing and construction,\u201d said Dr. Elizabeth Kennedy, Missouri Western\u2019s president. \u201cWe are extremely grateful for Tim\u2019s support of this project. His philanthropy is an expression of his civic commitment, his fondness for his Missouri Western experience and his unending interest in the development of AI and technology.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Houlne graduated from Missouri Western in 1986 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Finance and Management. He is founder and CEO of Humach, a Dallas-based provider of AI technology-driven contact center solutions for hundreds of clients across a variety of industries and regions. Houlne co-authored the Amazon best seller, \u201cThe New World of Work,\u201d and the second edition, \u201cThe Cube, The Cloud, and What’s Next.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m excited to be part of this ambitious endeavor because at its very foundation is the understanding that converging technologies have evolved from a discipline or field of work to become intertwined into the very fabric of our lives,\u201d Houlne said. \u201cWith this Center, Missouri Western State University takes on heightened regional and national importance and prominence, and with it, preparing tomorrow\u2019s workers and professionals to flourish and lead in this new technology-first world.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The Houlne Center for Convergent Technology is a partnership with North Central Missouri College to serve workforce development needs in skilled manufacturing, construction and related industries, along with cybersecurity. The $12 million project is expected to open in Fall 2024. Funding has been provided by the State of Missouri, the City of St. Joseph, Buchanan County, and nearly 20 local business, industry, and non-profit partners. Additional support was provided by NCMC and the Missouri Western State University Foundation. Missouri Western is currently equipping the facility for a fall opening.<\/span><\/p>\n

Houlne committed $3 million to the Center\u2019s Project Fund, which will help support the Center\u2019s launch and ongoing programs. It\u2019s the third largest outright gift in Missouri Western\u2019s history.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTim Houlne is a thought leader about the future of work and technology, and we\u2019re thrilled that he instantly grasped the significance of what we\u2019re doing in the Center for Convergent Technology and wanted to be a part of it,\u201d said Marc Archambault, vice president of advancement and executive director of the MWSU Foundation. \u201cTim and many other industry leaders share our vision of a university that is well equipped to meet current and future workforce demands, and we thank them for investing in that vision.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Previously, Missouri Western announced that parts of the building would be named the Gray Manufacturing Workshop Bay, the Altec Manufacturing Technology Bay, the Humach Advanced AI, IT, and Cyber Science Bay and the Triumph Foods and Daily’s Premium Meats Industrial Technology Bay in recognition of the support from those companies for the project. All told, 23 businesses or individuals have contributed to the project, including 18 from local industrial firms.<\/span><\/p>\n

Representatives from industry are also participating in the Center for Convergent Technology Leadership Board to ensure that the training the students receive align with needs in the community.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Missouri Western State University is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit <\/span><\/i>missouriwestern.edu<\/span><\/i><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

July 24, 2024–A new building at Missouri Western State University to serve workforce development needs in the region will bear the name of a Missouri Western alumnus who supported the project with one of the largest donations in the University\u2019s history. The building formerly known as the Convergent Technology Alliance Center (CTAC) will be known […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":11613,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[26,31,48],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11612"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11612"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11612\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11884,"href":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11612\/revisions\/11884"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11613"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11612"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11612"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.missouriwestern.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11612"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}