by Jeremy Hunt
Daily Lobo
You don't need to major in engineering to take advantage of the Centennial Engineering Center when it opens next year.
"The University is investing in ... not just engineering - engineering plus all interdisciplinary programs, which we have with every other college," said Joseph Cecchi, dean of the engineering school. "We want to attract students to these programs because they're important to solving the world's problems."
The quadraplex is being built near Redondo Drive just south of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
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At $48 million and 145,000 square feet, it is the largest capital project in UNM's history.
Construction is on schedule, and the building should open by the beginning of the fall 2008 semester, Cecchi said.
"Part of this is supported with the UNM bond, and that's supported by student fees," he said. "I would like to thank the students of the University for their forward-looking ideas to be able to support constructing this facility."
The Board of Regents approved the UNM bond in 2005. It was funded by increasing student fees $56 per year for a four-year period, according to the UNM Web site.
The building will have five large classrooms, computer pods, a 200-seat auditorium, research labs for graduate students and undergraduates, a student lounge and state-of-the-art technology, including wireless Internet, Cecchi said.
"Doing engineering is about collaboration," he said. "There's a lot of projects where the students work in teams, and there will be good areas for students to collaborate. We very much want to foster a community."
Students in various academic programs will use the facility, he said.
Engineering has interdisciplinary programs with many fields of study, including fine arts, business, digital media arts, and communication and journalism, he said.
The building will have a courtyard in the center that will be great for hosting outdoor events, he said.
Although the details of the courtyard haven't been worked out, Cecchi said it would have a passageway on the east side of the building that goes underneath the first floor.
He said students will be pleased with all the facility will offer.
"Students will benefit from this," he said. "This is really why were doing it."
