Groundbreaking today for Science & Engineering Bldg.

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MACON — Mercer University will mark the start of construction on its new Science and Engineering Building at 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21, in the lot adjacent to the School of Engineering. The event coincides with the University’s celebration of the School of Engineering’s 20th anniversary.

The speakers for the event will include Mercer President R. Kirby Godsey, Dean Richard C. Fallis of the College of Liberal Arts, Dean M. Dayne Aldridge of the School of Engineering and W. Michael Hatcher, director of engineering for the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center at Robins Air Force Base. U.S. Rep. Jim Marshall, D-Georgia, will join Mercer and Robins Air Force Base officials in the ceremonial breaking of ground.

The new Science and Engineering Building will be a state-of-the-art teaching and research facility that will further advance Mercer University’s position as a leader in engineering and science education in the nation. The building has been designed to provide both introductory and advanced educational experiences through the use of specialized classrooms and laboratories that will help engineering and science students learn to apply their knowledge.

The two-story facility will also increase the level of activity under Mercer’s longstanding Education Partnership Agreement with the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center (WR-ALC). The University is committed to addressing the shortage of skilled engineers needed to support industry in Central Georgia.  One of the greatest needs for WR-ALC engineers is training through short courses and graduate education and this new building will equip Mercer to meet these needs.  New laboratories and a materials testing system will expand current research at Mercer and provide hands-on undergraduate laboratory course experiences and graduate thesis research for students while also providing additional production capacity and advanced training for WR-ALC.

About Mercer:

Founded in 1833, Mercer University has campuses in Macon and Atlanta as well as three regional academic centers. With 10 schools and colleges, the University offers programs in liberal arts, business, engineering, education, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, law and theology. For 16 consecutive years, U.S. News & World Report has named Mercer University as one of the leading universities in the South.