Andres Davila | News Director
Construction continues at FIU.
In September 2021, FIU broke ground to construct a “121,000-square-foot, six-story building that will house makerspace labs, active learning classrooms and research laboratories on FIU’s main campus”, according to the College of Engineering and Computing Impact Report.
“This is our opportunity for our tech community to drive the talent demand that will be the bedrock of our wealth in South Florida,” said engineering college dean John L. Volakis at a topping ceremony on August 11th.
In an interview with PantherNOW, Volakis further emphasized how important this new building is to current and future students.
“There is a need [for] students for the community who want to be successful in engineering. It is the centerpiece [for the future].”
Departments such as biomedical engineering and computer science will move to the building with floors dedicated to computer labs and open spaces for research. Graduate studies from the College of Engineering and Computing (CEC) will also move there.
Along with these departments, there could be potential for new departments to be created, relating more to artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.
Statistics are promising for the school, as goals have been surpassed in 2021. Student enrollment went to almost 8,300 in the Fall 2022 Term, with 2,000 graduates in the 2021 – 2022 academic year.
With these statistics, Volakis also points out that the new building “will allow for growth in research and training areas of the future”, bringing new job opportunities for new faculty members and graduates.
The construction is set to be done by Spring 2024, although the dean of the college reassures that it is an estimation and there are still factors to be considered.
“There is a lot of input. [In] some areas, we need industries participation to finish them because we want industry-university collaboration. So that’s what we’re working on”.
With the finished construction of the new SIPA building, the topping ceremony ensured that the college’s vision is still intact.
“To the men and women who are working on this project, we thank you. You are helping us build a home for tomorrow’s visionary leads who will drive innovation for many generations to come”.
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