UNT breaks ground on new $13 million biomedical engineering building
The University of North Texas held a groundbreaking ceremony on construction for a new $13 million biomedical engineering building on March 22 at Discovery Park. Construction of the building will officially start on May 1 and will be completed by fall 2019.
The Board of Regents approved $12.8 million in bonds for the building’s construction although the actual cost will be higher, President Smatresk said at the ceremony.
The biomedical engineering building will include research and teaching laboratories for students and professors to provide space for the “fastest growing segment at UNT,” Smatresk said. It will be located at the northeast corner of Discovery Park at 3940 N Elm St.
Smatresk assured students the 26,250-square-foot expansion project would not affect parking or bus services. The architect for the project is TreanorHL, which has designed buildings for civil engineering programs and advanced industries, according to TreanorHL. The contractor, Sundt Construction, will focus on improving productivity and reducing costs, according to Sundt.
Biomedical Engineering Department Chairman Vijay Vaidyanathan said UNT’s biomedical engineering program started in fall 2014 and since then has grown to include more than 200 undergraduate students. Enrollment for fall 2018 is at 130 students.
The biomedical engineering program started its first graduate program in fall 2017. There are 14 students currently enrolled in the Master’s program and 10 in the Ph.D. program. The program has been awarded $1 million overall in research awards during the 2017-2018 school year.
The university’s first set of biomedical engineering student graduates will walk the stage at commencement in May 2018.
Biomedical engineering senior James Mayo closed the groundbreaking ceremony by talking about his journey through the program at UNT. Mayo is part of the biomedical engineering program’s first graduating class.
“I have seen this program develop so much,” Mayo said. “From one faculty member and a handful of students graduating alongside me this May, to now having multiple faculty members in many different fields and specialties, and hundreds of students benefiting greatly from their knowledge and now a new building to house their knowledge even further.”
Featured Image: Twitter Courtesy Barrett Cole
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