The University of Georgia will break ground on the new Interdisciplinary Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Research Building at 2 p.m. on Nov. 27. The groundbreaking marks the beginning of the construction of the ISTEM Research Building, which will house engineering, chemistry and related disciplines to promote collaborations between students, faculty and researchers.
The $65 million facility is made possible by $39.4 million in state support. It is strategically located on UGA’s South Campus near other buildings that house STEM researchers and will promote interdisciplinary research to address the needs of industry and government agencies. It will also enhance the state of Georgia’s economic development.
“The new ISTEM Research Building provides an exciting opportunity to take the collaborative strengths of UGA to a whole new level,” said Rawad Saleh, assistant professor of engineering at UGA. “It will be home for a new interdisciplinary energy and air pollution research group. Having our laboratories co-located in the Interdisciplinary STEM Building will be a major contributor to the success of our collaborative research.”
The facility will expand laboratories for chemistry, engineering and other material sciences, offer undergraduate research opportunities and expose graduate students to projects with real-world relevance.
“The addition of this new STEM building will centralize the world-class research labs that are currently spread around campus, allowing for easier collaboration and interdisciplinary work,” said Jacob Davis, a graduate student studying engineering. “I am looking forward to seeing how this new building will change research at UGA and the impact it will have on the world.”
The facility is expected to be completed by the summer of 2021.
