Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

University of West Florida Opens New Laboratory Facility

  • By Matt Jones
  • 08/14/25

The University of West Florida recently announced that renovation work is complete on a new lab building for its campus in Pensacola, Fla., according to university news. Building 80 will serve as the home to the university’s civil engineering program and the Tyler Chase Norwood Construction Management Program. It features three new wet and dry labs for civil engineering and construction management students to become familiar with construction materials.

Amenities include the trade demonstration area, also called the construction yard, for project-based learning. It provides space for practical demonstrations and applications of masonry, carpentry, and welding. The soils lab was designed for research and experiments regarding soil and concrete mechanics.

“The upgraded facility reflects the University’s commitment to academic innovation and preparing graduates to meet regional and national workforce needs in design, construction and sustainability,” said Dr. Mohamed Khabou, dean of the Hal Marcus College of Science and Engineering. “Both the civil engineering and the construction management programs will produce highly qualified graduates to fill high paying jobs in the local economy.”

The renovation cost a total of $1.5 million, and funding came largely from a “handful of generous major donors.” The building was named after Tyler Chase Norwood, a 2015 graduate of UWF. Complementing the new facility, the Tyler Chase Norwood Construction Management Scholarship Endowment received a gift of $250,000 to expand educational opportunities for incoming students, the news release reports.

The building will open its doors to students for the fall 2025 semester.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • CU-Lock Haven Receives $1.75M Gift for New Entrepreneurship, Media Center

    Commonwealth University-Lock Haven in Lock Haven, Penn., recently received a $1.75-million donation from entrepreneur and alumnus Nicholas Subich ’17, according to a university news release. The funds will go toward establishing the Nicholas Subich Center for Entrepreneurship and Media, a technology-driven hub for innovation and experiential learning.

  • Chicago District Completes Construction on New Elementary School

    North Chicago School District 187 in North Chicago, Ill., recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Forrestal Elementary School, according to a news release. The new school marks a major investment in military-connected students and families at Naval Station Great Lakes.

  • 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.

  • Harvard Announces Replacement Facility for Native American Program

    Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., recently announced that construction will begin this spring on a new home for its Native American Program, according to university news. The 6,500-square-foot, all-electric building will stand three stories and serve as the central hub for the Harvard University Native American Program (HUNAP).