2008 Woodie Awards
Senate approves bill for engineering, science center
T.R. Risner
Staff Reporter
Issue date: 10/29/07 Section: News
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A bill that could bring over $30 million to the University of South Alabama has gotten approval by the Senate, and now will go before the House of Representatives for approval.
The majority of the funding, $30 million, is expected to be used for a new engineering and science center at USA. The new center has a price tag of $50 million. The federal government previously approved $10 million that will be added to the $10 million USA has.
The new engineering and science center would house the entire engineering department, including faculty offices and laboratories. The facility would provide laboratory and research facilities for future engineers, scientists and researchers. The facility would also provide laboratory and research space for the University's support of local and regional industry.
The new building would also bring additional classrooms and office space to the fast growing engineering department. "The engineering college has been growing, now having more than a thousand students, so we need the additional classrooms and office space," said Dr. John Steadman, dean of engineering. The faculty would also be in one building, which will "lead to better communication, more interdisciplinary research and sharing practices in teaching," Steadman said.
The center would be named The Shelby Engineering and Science Center after Alabama Senator Richard Shelby, who was instrumental in pushing the bill through the Senate. "I believe very strongly in the need for Alabama's colleges and universities to offer exemplary education in science and engineering," Shelby said.
The building would update the department's laboratory, which has become "quite dated" according to Steadman. Companies have also planned to help the engineering students in the new building. "This will give us new laboratory space as well as new equipment; several of the companies who hire our graduates have already made major donations that will be used to help us get state-of-the-art equipment in the new labs," Steadman said. The new labs and lab equipment may be the most important addition to the engineering department. "Experience with designing and testing of products and processes is extremely important for engineers," Steadman said.
The majority of the funding, $30 million, is expected to be used for a new engineering and science center at USA. The new center has a price tag of $50 million. The federal government previously approved $10 million that will be added to the $10 million USA has.
The new engineering and science center would house the entire engineering department, including faculty offices and laboratories. The facility would provide laboratory and research facilities for future engineers, scientists and researchers. The facility would also provide laboratory and research space for the University's support of local and regional industry.
The new building would also bring additional classrooms and office space to the fast growing engineering department. "The engineering college has been growing, now having more than a thousand students, so we need the additional classrooms and office space," said Dr. John Steadman, dean of engineering. The faculty would also be in one building, which will "lead to better communication, more interdisciplinary research and sharing practices in teaching," Steadman said.
The center would be named The Shelby Engineering and Science Center after Alabama Senator Richard Shelby, who was instrumental in pushing the bill through the Senate. "I believe very strongly in the need for Alabama's colleges and universities to offer exemplary education in science and engineering," Shelby said.
The building would update the department's laboratory, which has become "quite dated" according to Steadman. Companies have also planned to help the engineering students in the new building. "This will give us new laboratory space as well as new equipment; several of the companies who hire our graduates have already made major donations that will be used to help us get state-of-the-art equipment in the new labs," Steadman said. The new labs and lab equipment may be the most important addition to the engineering department. "Experience with designing and testing of products and processes is extremely important for engineers," Steadman said.
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