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

  • 144-Year-Old High-School Campus Debuts New Academic Facility

    San Diego High School (SDHS) in San Diego, Calif., recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new student services and classroom building; the project is part of a larger SDHS Whole Site Modernization project that began in 2022.

  • Utah Valley University Opens New Engineering Building

    Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, recently held a grand-opening ceremony for the new Scott M. Smith Engineering Building, according to a news release. The facility is one of the largest engineering buildings in the state at almost 200,000 square feet, and it plays home to the university’s Smith College of Engineering and Technology (SCET).

  • Armstrong World Industries Acquires Parallel Architectural Products

    Armstrong World Industries, provider of interior and exterior architectural applications, recently announced that it has acquired the Colorado-based Parallel Architectural Products, according to a news release.

  • Massachusetts K–12 District Selects Architect for New Junior High

    Swansea Public Schools in Swansea, Mass., recently announced that it has selected Finegold Alexander Architects to design a new junior high school for the district, according to a news release. The firm will create the Feasibility Study and Schematic Design for Joseph Case Junior High School after a lengthy selection process by the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA).