KENNESAW, Ga. | Feb 1, 2023

 

A newly renovated Engineering Lab Building (formerly known as G-Building) that will provide students with expanded research and instruction opportunities officially opened at a ceremony Monday on Kennesaw State University’s Marietta Campus. 

The nearly 35,000-square-foot space allows the University’s Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering and Engineering Technology (SPCEET) to expand student tutoring, instruction and research productivity. It also houses student success support spaces, including a 3D Print Farm and the Collaborative Learning for Undergraduate Engineering Center (CLUE) tutoring center. 

“At Kennesaw State, we are committed to providing our students with the support they need to thrive, which includes increasing their ability to collaborate and to engage learning opportunities outside the classroom, such as research,” said KSU President Kathy Schwaig. “This building will serve our current students and is a promise to future students that KSU is a place that invests in their success.”

SPCEET Dean Ian Ferguson said the reimagined Engineering Lab Building plays an important role in educating new generations of engineers.

“We are showing students that learning isn’t just what’s happening in the classrooms, but it’s the ability to take that knowledge and apply it practically into work. We will bring future employers here to showcase the work of these students,” said Ferguson. 

Kennesaw State mechanical engineering student Anthony Tetrault was excited about the opportunities the updated lab provides to current and future students. 

“This renovated building will welcome a new generation of engineers who are passionate about creating a better future,” he told the gathering at the opening ceremony.  

The building originally opened in 1962 as part of the Southern Technical Institute. It became known as Southern Polytechnic State University (SPSU) in 1996, and in 2015 consolidated with Kennesaw State to become part of Georgia’s third-largest university.  

The timeline and names of Kennesaw State’s Marietta Campus:   
The Technical Institute, 1948 –1949 
Southern Technical Institute, 1949 – 1987 
Southern College of Technology, 1987 – 1996 
Southern Polytechnic State University, 1996 – 2015 

– Amanda Cook 
Photos by Matthew Yung 

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 47,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.