Cal State Long Beach’s College of Engineering announced on Monday, Oct. 20, that it has received a federal grant and strengthened its partnerships with the city and local aerospace companies to help prepare its students for their future careers through project-based learning.
The U.S. Economic Development Administration, a bureau of the U.S. Department of Commerce, awarded the college a $2.27 million grant to help make renovations to its facilities and purchase equipment for labs that support satellites, rocketry, advanced manufacturing and more, university officials said.
Students, staff, faculty, alumni, community members, university and city officials converged in front of CSULB’s engineering building on Monday to celebrate the funding and partnerships.
“This is an exciting, exciting moment for our campus and for our city,” said CSULB interim President Andrew Jones.
This grant will help fund a portion of the $15 million renovation plan for the engineering program, which has been dubbed “Beach Launch Pad,” university officials said. Not only will it improve project-based learning for students, but also give more opportunities for faculty to complete their research programs by providing cutting-edge equipment and project spaces.
(L-R) Mayor Rex Richardson, Dean of the College of Eningeering Jinny Rhee, Chief People Officer at VAST Karin Kou, and CEO and co-founder of Orbital Operations Ben Schleuniger during the panel discussion on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
CSULB Intrim President Andrew Jones announces the College of Engineering recieving at $2.27 million federal grant for facility and equipment improvements part of the university’s project called “Beach Launch Pad,” on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Mayor Rex Richardson at the announcement of CSULB’s College of Engineering recieving at $2.27 million federal grant for facility and equipment improvements part of the university’s project called “Beach Launch Pad,” on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
CSULB Dean of Engineering Jinny Rhee announces the College of Engineering recieving at $2.27 million federal grant for facility and equipment improvements part of the university’s project called “Beach Launch Pad,” on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
(L-R) CSULB Interim President Andrew Jones, Mayor Rex Richardson, Dean of the College of Eningeering Jinny Rhee, CEO and co-founder of Orbital Operations Ben Schleuniger, and Chief People Officer at VAST Karin Kou at the announcement of the College of Engineering being awarded a $2.27 million federal grant on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
(L-R) Dean of the College of Eningeering Jinny Rhee, Chief People Officer at VAST Karin Kou, and CEO and co-founder of Orbital Operations Ben Schleuniger during the panel discussion on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Labs in CSULB’s College of Engineering will be getting facility and equipment improvements as the university works on its project, called “Beach Launch Pad,” to improve project-based learning for students and faculty research. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Labs in CSULB’s College of Engineering will be getting facility and equipment improvements as the university works on its project, called “Beach Launch Pad,” to improve project-based learning for students and faculty research. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Labs in CSULB’s College of Engineering will be getting facility and equipment improvements as the university works on its project, called “Beach Launch Pad,” to improve project-based learning for students and faculty research. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Show Caption
1 of 9
(L-R) Mayor Rex Richardson, Dean of the College of Eningeering Jinny Rhee, Chief People Officer at VAST Karin Kou, and CEO and co-founder of Orbital Operations Ben Schleuniger during the panel discussion on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
“In addition to helping the university’s college of engineering keep pace with the growing needs of the aerospace industry and increasing demand for aerospace engineering professionals,” Jones said, “this EDA grant will also build our capacity for project-based learning and, more broadly, it will help ensure that we have the resources and the agility to educate the thoughtful and deliberative thinkers, leaders and innovators who are critically important to the well-being of our world.”
The “Beach Launch Pad” will house updated equipment in the machine shop, a new rocket lab, a dorne cage and an additive manufacturing lab to keep up with the growing needs of the aerospace industry, officials said.
The university partnered with Mayor Rex Richardson’s office and local aerospace companies to be able to apply for the grant, Jones said. Some of those companies include Northrop Grumman, VAST, Rocket Lab and Nikon, among others – and many are part of “Space Beach,” the city’s moniker for the growing number of aerospace and space companies in Long Beach.
“The city’s promotion and investment into Space Beach, right here in Long Beach, is aligned with what we’re all trying to do and with what all of these companies are trying to do,” said Jinny Rhee, dean of the CSULB College of Engineering. “I think that good things are going to happen if we’re all going in the same direction.”
Richardson shared a similar sentiment, adding that the grant’s investment will continue to strengthen the pipeline of CSULB students to Space Beach.
“We want to be a part of it, because we know the future of Space Beach depends on the partnerships we build today,” the mayor said, “partnerships that connect our campus to our growing aerospace and space manufacturing industries.”
The announcement was followed by a panel made up of the college’s dean, Chief People Officer at VAST Karin Kou, and CEO and co-founder of Orbital Operations Ben Schleuniger. The panel discussed how they anticipate the grant will impact the university and what companies like VAST and Orbiral Operations are looking for in inters and recent graduates.
“Talent is the big driver of what we do,” Kou said. “Yes, we’re in the business of trying to replace the International Space Station, but we need the people to do it. I’m proud to say that Cal State Long Beach has 37 alumni at our company right now.”
Students knowing how to solve problems is something that’s important in the industry, Schleuniger added.
“The opportunity to get into these types of project is really hard at some universities,” he said, “but I think it’s getting easier for Long Beach to train up real skill set, particularly with this type of development.
“Getting your hands dirty, running into problems on trying to make a combustion device work or turbo machinery, or just organizing a team,” Schleuniger added, “that’s exactly what we’re interviewing for.”