At a glance
“The lift is an incredibly generous donation that will be used for educational and campus support purposes for many years to come,” Eric Wilmot said.
Hands-on training has been lifted to greater heights for Alfred State heavy equipment, truck and diesel technician students thanks to the generosity of donor and alumnus Robert “Bob” Livingston.
President Dr. Skip Sullivan in cutting a ribbon to celebrate the new Mohawk Lift in the
Heavy Equipment, Truck and Diesel Building. Also pictured are Dean of the School
of Applied Technology Jeffrey Stevens, farthest right, and Automotive Trades
Department Chair Eric Wilmot, farthest left. Livingston generously provided the funds
to purchase the new lift.
Livingston, a 1956 graduate of Alfred State’s mechanical engineering technology – internal combustion engineering program, recently provided the funds for the purchase and installation of a Mohawk Lift that is now located in the Heavy Equipment, Truck and Diesel Building on the Wellsville campus. The lift enhances students’ ability to gain real-world, hands-on experience working on everything from small cars, to light duty diesel equipment, to heavy duty diesel trucks.
Specifically, students will use the lift to perform tasks such as alignments, brake work, tire changes, oil changes, and more. This work was previously completed on the floor with floor jacks and mechanics creepers.
Eric Wilmot, chair of the Automotive Trades Department, said the lift will also support the college’s heavy equipment operations program by providing heavy equipment maintenance repair.
“The lift is an incredibly generous donation that will be used for educational and campus support purposes for many years to come,” Wilmot said. “After a recent campus visit, Mr. Livingston saw our need, made some phone calls, and here it is a short time later. We are very thankful for Bob’s support and will proudly display this lift with his name on it for many years to come.”
Jeffrey Stevens, dean of the School of Applied Technology, said the lift is a wonderful addition to the shop.
“We continually strive to improve and expand the learning outcomes for students,” he said. “We are so excited to have such a well-built engineered training tool, and the integration into the existing shop certainly has led to setting the bar higher. The faculty and students are excited to integrate this lift into the program and the curriculum.”
Alfred State recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the new lift. Speaking at the event, President Dr. Skip Sullivan said, “This is a great example of an alum giving back to the college that meant a lot to him. We are certainly very grateful.”
Livingston was the final speaker at the ceremony. Addressing the assembled crowd of Alfred State students and employees, he said he was glad he was able to provide the funds for the lift, adding, “I hope that you all benefit a lot from it over many, many years.”