A rendering of a common space in the new Science, Engineering and Technology building shows what the space will look like. The building will have huge windows to bring natural light in, unlike any other science building. Photo courtesy of Brooks Burr.
Ready, SET, go!
The new Science, Engineering and Technology building, also referred to as the SET building, is on track with construction deadlines.
Sherry Ruesch, assistant vice president of facilities management, said COVID-19 never affected the construction on the $50 million building. While students were quarantining, the building kept growing to be open for the fall 2021 semester.
With DSU’s ever-growing student population comes the expansion of buildings on campus. The SET building is encompassing a modern design to keep up with the growing demands of a modern university.
Students can expect one side of the building to have copper plated walls and the other side to have windows with a view of the Jeffery R. Holland Centennial Commons building. The building was designed based on a survey of what students wanted in the new building, Ruesch said.
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The results found more students wanted classrooms and labs with an abundance of natural light and open space. Ruesch said the building was tailored to have natural light through huge windows like the Holland, something that isn’t common in science buildings.
Ruesch said the building is unique because not many universities have science labs with windows in them. The only labs without windows are the cadaver labs.
The five-story building will house 26 engineering and science labs. The vast amount of space is an opportunity for DSU to grow its student population and add even more science degrees and majors.
Hailey Berg, a freshman music education major from Henderson, Nevada, said she is looking forward to the space the building will create on campus.
“It would be nice to have another building where we can take general education courses, if that is an option with this building,” Berg said.
Being a freshman this year, Berg also said she is looking forward to all the new students able to attend DSU and the diversity of majors this building brings.
“I am given the opportunity to meet new people from different majors,” Berg said.
Eric Pedersen, dean of science, engineering and technology, said as a result of the new building, DSU has created new computer, electrical engineering and thermodynamic programs for the fall 2021 semester.
“New facilities and new degrees are a big part of this building,” Pedersen said.
Pedersen said the new facility is going to be able to help students in the workforce by giving them opportunities to earn degrees for high-demand jobs within the science, engineering and technology fields.
“Students touring DSU can look at the space we have now and compare it to next year with what we’re able to show them from the new building,” Ruesch said. “A lot more students are going to want to come to [DSU].”
Pedersen declined to share information on certain unique features pertaining to the building as DSU has not made an official announcement yet.
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