Dixie State University breaks ground on Science, Engineering & Technology building
Dixie State University will begin construction on its new Science, Engineering & Technology building which kicked off with a groundbreaking ceremony and open house to celebrate the addition of the state-of-the-art facility to campus.
The groundbreaking ceremony took place at 11 a.m. on Oct. 23 at the site of the future building, next to the Fountain Amphitheater on Dixie State’s campus. Following the ceremony, DSU held a reception to highlight some of the key features planned for the building.
“The Science, Engineering & Technology building will have a tremendous benefit on the entire Southern Utah region. We continue to make significant strides in increasing academic offerings in these growing fields and prepare students to meet the area’s workforce needs,” DSU President Richard “Biff” Williams said. “Dixie State is grateful for the support we have received from our elected officials, and those in the community who have helped bring this building to our campus.”
The new facility will hold the specialized classrooms and labs DSU needs to prepare students for careers in STEM fields. The five-story building will include 26 science, engineering and technology labs as well as numerous classrooms and other learning spaces. The space will also have three levels of outdoor patios with the top one being designed as an astronomy deck.
“This innovative facility will not just be a new building, but it will also be a home away from home for our students studying in the STEM fields,” Dean of the College of Science, Engineering & Technology Dr. Eric Pedersen said. “The future of DSU’s College of Science, Engineering & Technology is bright and I cannot wait to see the benefits and advantages the SET building will bring to our students.”
As part of Dixie State’s “active learning. active life.” approach to education, the SET building will give students access to cutting-edge equipment and learning opportunities to help equip them for the workforce demands of a growing region.
“This new facility will provide an active learning environment where more students will be able to work with technology that pushes them to think deeper and explore more,” Dixie State University Chemistry Student of the Year, Malia Dustin, said. “It will provide more opportunities for students to engage in extracurricular research with faculty and state-of-the-art laboratories and will ensure my fellow students have a hands-on experience that prepares us for our future careers.”
DSU is working with Jacobsen Construction and VCBO Architecture on the 120,00-square-foot facility, which is expected to be ready for the Fall 2021 semester.
For more information about Dixie State University’s college of Science, Engineering & Technology visit colleges.utahtech.edu/science/.