KU News Release

LAWRENCE — Groundbreaking for a new research facility at the University of Kansas School of Engineering is set for 11:15 a.m. Friday, May 7, on the Engineering Complex lawn. University leaders, School of Engineering administrators, faculty, staff and students as well as distinguished alumni will gather for the ceremony.

The $18.8 million Measurement, Materials and Sustainable Environment Center is funded in part through an award from the Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology Construction Grant Program. The School of Engineering and KU will contribute $6.5 million in matching funds for the project.

The 34,600 net square-foot building will provide a unique opportunity for several engineering and campuswide research groups to work together on projects and to develop commercial applications based on project results. The facility will contain space solely for research purposes. It will not be used for classrooms or offices.

“We will be able to test potential products to industry standards and get them certified for possible commercial use at this facility,” said Glen Marotz, associate dean for research and graduate programs at the School of Engineering and the principal investigator for the grant.

“There are a lot of research results that are not transferable into commercial applications because they are not certified for use in specific applications,” Marotz said.

The center will allow researchers to develop a solution to a problem, test and certify products, all in one place, which isn’t possible in many research environments.

“Much more collaboration is possible if a building is constructed in the right way, and you can maximize the use of the space,” Marotz said.

Whether it’s harvesting algae for fuels, developing carbon fibers to improve aircraft structures, or utilizing nano-particles as part of a drug delivery system, researchers from a wide variety of science and engineering disciplines will collaborate to develop and implement their innovations, Marotz said.

“This will provide the university with a cutting-edge facility to continue to produce innovative work,” said Stuart Bell, dean of engineering. “Students will also have opportunities that give them a competitive advantage as they prepare to enter the work force.”

The building is slated for completion by the beginning of 2012. It will incorporate the latest in green technology and will include elements that will qualify it for at least LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver certification under the rigorous Green Building Rating System devised by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Construction of the building is from a grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The architecture firm on the project is Treanor Architects. Construction is by J.E. Dunn Construction.

The Measurement, Materials and Sustainable Environment Center is part of the KU School of Engineering’s “Building on Excellence Initiative” — a long-term vision that drives growth in facilities, students, leadership and research.