University Partnership
Pioneering Tomorrow’s Sustainable Living Careers
University Partnerships: Pioneering Tomorrow’s Sustaimable Careers
IMOLA and Fort Valley State University have formed a groundbreaking, high impact partnership to collaborate on STEM education and workforce development. This powerful collaboration is facilitated by FVSU's nationally acclaimed Cooperative Developmental Energy Program (CDEP) that will provide scholarships, internships, and career opportunities for students, further shaping a highly skilled workforce in the rapidly expanding EV industry. This transformative partnership between FVSU and IMOLA will ensure students gain valuable industry experience, driving next-generation innovation, leadership and long-term success in the electric vehicle field.
Fort Valley State University, the founding institution of the nationally acclaimed Cooperative Developmental Energy Program (CDEP), has partnered with IMOLA to further expand CDEP’s university alliance model and launch an innovative, future-driven collaboration to establish a powerful network of STEM-focused university partnerships that includes Georgia Tech, Grand Valley State, Penn State, University of Alabama, University of Arkansas, UNLV, University of Oklahoma, and UT Austin.
Cooperative Developmental Energy Program (CDEP)
FVSU CDEP Partners with IMOLA To Enhance STEM Education & Workforce Development
Fort Valley State University, established in 1895, has a proud legacy of educating African American students and is nationally recognized for excellence in agriculture, engineering technology, and STEM fields. It is the founding institution of the visionary Cooperative Developmental Energy Program (CDEP), created by Dr. Isaac J. Crumbly to increase diversity in America’s energy and engineering workforce. Under Dr. Crumbly’s leadership, CDEP has evolved into a nationally acclaimed model, linking FVSU students with top-tier universities—including Georgia Tech, Penn State, and the University of Oklahoma—through dual-degree programs. With over $12 million in scholarships awarded, this program stands as one of the most successful science and engineering driven STEM pipelines in the nation.
This model continues to scale nationally, inspiring replication and driving new institutional partnerships across the country. Through a transformative new alliance with IMOLA, FVSU is expanding CDEP’s legacy into an IMOLA Smart Blue City flagship model that includes a sister engineering campus, advanced research hubs, job placement pipeline and student housing that accelerates clean tech careers. This flagship model serves as the innovation platform to scale nationally with university partners.
National Expansion of IMOLA Smart Blue Cities & University Innovation Campuses
The strategic partnership between IMOLA and Fort Valley State University has both parties working together to scale the CDEP model into a vertically integrated national framework—building an interconnected system of university-driven technology campuses that connect expanded sister engineering campuses, research hubs, certificate training center, job pipelines, and student & work-force housing that are integrated into IMOLA Sustainable Smart Blue Cities™. From Fort Valley, GA to Bellevue, NE and beyond, this expansion fuels research part-nerships, drives job creation, opens doors for aspiring engineers, advances applied research, and anchors America’s next generation of clean manufacturing and community mobility. IMOLA isn’t just building campuses—“We’re Making America’s Factories Great Again” with a national network of University Partnerships integrated into next-gen technology campuses.
IMOLA Partnership Signing
IMOLA, CEO Rodney Henry and Isaac J. Crumbly, PhD, Founder of CDEP Sign CDEP Partnership Agreement
IMOLA Automotive USA, CEO Rodney Henry expressed excitement for IMOLA’s future, stating, "What moves me is seeing students transform into leaders with the skills to succeed. We're proud to bring the first EV company to this area and create job opportunities that can uplift families and the community."
Isaac J. Crumbly, Ph.D., founder of CDEP, highlighted the significance of the agreement, noting, "This represents a monumental moment for FVSU and CDEP's legacy of developing STEM leaders. IMOLAS's support will equip our scholars with the tools to lead in the development of zero-emission vehicles."
IMOLA Sustainable Smart Blue City University Partnerships
IMOLA Automotive USA, CEO Rodney Henry expressed excitement for IMOLA’s future, stating,IMOLA and Fort Valley University are working together with various universities to identify, shape and deliver higher education strategies to integrate into its IMOLA Smart Blue Cities™ that help each institution accomplish its goals and expansion. IMOLA’s Smart Blue Cities™ vertical integration provides a wide range of partnership programs that include:
Expanding engineering departments with new technology curriculums tied to IMOLA technology campuses
Building Manufacturing Plants-- electric vehicle, lithium battery, nanochip & semiconductor, aluminum foundry
Providing University Campus student housing with Ride Share programs for students & staff
Creating Technology Campus R & D partnerships, internships, job placement program, certificate training/college credits
Constructing Solar Farm systems integrated with smart intelligent lighting and data center management
Developing mixed-use PUDs with Technology Campuses, workforce housing, commercial, retail, recreational