News Photo by Julie Goldberg Adrian Alejos, northern sales representative for Anatomage, on Thursday demonstrates an Anatomage table to Alpena Community College staff and community members. The table — which is about seven feet long — was not at the college on Thursday, but Alejos was able to demonstrate what the table can do through his laptop.

ALPENA — Alpena Community College nursing, anatomy, and biology students will have an interactive new way to learn next spring semester.

Thanks to a five-year, $2.25 million Strengthening Institutions Program grant from the U.S. Department of Education, the college plans to purchase two high-tech tables that can show 3D images of the human body for instructors to use in class.

The college received the grant in October.

Adrian Alejos, northern sales representative for the San Jose, California-based maker of the tables, Anatomage, demonstrated the technology on Thursday to college staff and community members.

The table is two connected screens that provide a viewing area about seven feet long that can show both 2D and 3D models of the human body and what’s inside the body.

Alejos said instructors can use it to show cadaver scans and regional anatomy scans. They can also use it for quizzes and to show different case studies to students.

The college is expected to purchase two tables — one for both the Alpena and Oscoda campuses — and have them ready by January for the spring semester, ACC President Don MacMaster said.

“This is good news for the college and community,” MacMaster said. “We see that there’s applications for nursing students, for our anatomy students, physiology, and in the community, people who want to bring their staff in for a half-day. We will make that available.”

The tables range from $48,000 to $78,000 each, depending on what the college buys.

Amanda Sumerix, ACC’s director of the SIP grant, said part of the grant funds advanced simulation technology for the nursing program.

The grant also aligns with the college’s ongoing Van Lare Hall renovation project, which is meant to expand the college’s nursing program.

Sumerix said the tables will help get the nursing program at the cutting edge of technology.

The tables can be used with videoconferencing systems the college purchased recently to be installed at both ACC campuses and at K-12 schools, so instructors can show students who are learning remotely what is on the Anatomage table.

Tables will be purchased later this year. It will take a couple of months for them to arrive at the college.

“We’ve had a vision to try and upgrade, and it’s a delight to see come it to fruition,” MacMaster said.

Julie Goldberg can be reached at 989-358-5688 or jgoldberg@thealpenanews.com. Follow her on Twitter @jkgoldberg12.