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

  • Miami University Approves New $242M Multipurpose Arena

    Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, recently announced that its Board of Trustees has approved construction of a new multipurpose arena at Cook Field, according to university news. The $242-million project will serve as a new centralized hub for student life and create space for economic development on campus.

  • Dallas ISD Voters Approve $6.2B Bond Package

    Dallas ISD voters have approved a record-setting $6.2-billion bond package that district leaders say will modernize aging campuses, eliminate portable classrooms and reshape learning environments across one of the nation’s largest school systems.

  • Academy of Classical Education Breaks Ground in Louisiana

    Charter Schools USA (CSUSA) recently announced the groundbreaking of a new public charter school in Covington, La., according to a news release. The Academy of Classical Education at Covington will enroll students in grades K–8 and is scheduled for completion in August 2026, just in time for the new school year.

  • College of the Desert Hits Construction Milestone on New Campus

    College of the Desert recently announced that the construction of its new Palm Springs Campus in Palm Springs, Calif., recently reached a major construction milestone, according to a news release. The college is partnering with general contractor C.W. Driver Companies, which recently “topped out” the facility by placing the final beam in its structure.