Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Penn State Opens Renovated Mechanical Engineering Lab

  • By Matt Jones
  • 09/17/21

At Pennsylvania State University in University Park, Penn., the Department of Mechanical Engineering recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new ME Knowledge Lab. According to a university news release, the lab marks the launch of a revamped curriculum for the program. The renovated space opened to students for the fall semester.

“We are so excited to welcome our students into the new facility,” said Mary Frecker, head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering. “With the successful construction, in tandem with the new curriculum, our students will be better prepared to begin their careers as mechanical engineers.”

The 5,700-square-foot space was formerly a basement that saw limited use. Fundraising through alumni and industry professionals saw the “mostly unusable” space transformed into a state-of-the-art lab for undergraduates to contribute, collaborate and practice hands-on research. Applications include energy, sustainability, bioengineering, big data, autonomy, robotics and advanced manufacturing.

Renovations began in fall 2020. Amenities in the new facility include a collaborative design hub; 3D printers and a light makerspace; lab stations with characterization devices for turbines and battery cells; a virtual reality learning site; and an autonomous vehicles lab.

“By creating spaces that not only encourage engineering ingenuity, but also facilitate such work, we’re setting ourselves and—more importantly—the future, our students, up for success,” said Justin Schwartz, the Harold and Inge Marcus Dean in the College of Engineering.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Wold Architects & Engineers Acquires VPS Architecture

    Full-service planning, architecture, and engineering firm Wold Architects & Engineers recently announced that it has acquired VPS Architecture, according to a news release. The move will help strengthen Wold’s education and public-sector design expertise, industries in which both companies have strong pre-existing ties and relationships.

  • UCF Modernizes College of Hospitality Management

    The University of Central Florida in Orlando, Fla., recently completed a major renovation effort for the Rosen College of Hospitality Management, according to a news release. The project modernized 77,600 square feet worth of academic classrooms, teaching labs, and collaborative spaces to support both students and faculty.

  • Texas Recruitment

    Texas Recruitment

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. The University of Texas at Austin's Texas Recruitment has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Grand Prize award in the category of Renovation.

  • St. John Fisher University

    Classroom Revitalization – Basil Hall Room 216

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. St. John Fisher University's Basil Hall Room 216 Classroom Revitalization has been recognized with an EDS 2026 Project of Distinction award in the category of Spaces.