Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

UTampa Breaks Ground on STEM Academic Facility

  • By Matt Jones
  • 04/23/26

Key Takeaways

  • The University of Tampa has begun construction on the 153,000-square-foot Dickey Science Innovation Center, a major new STEM facility set to open in fall 2028.
  • The five-story building will house multiple science departments and interdisciplinary research spaces designed to foster collaboration across fields like biology, chemistry, marine science, and allied health.
  • Funded in part by a significant gift from the Dickey family, the center is intended to elevate the university’s research capabilities and will be among its LEED-certified campus buildings.

The University of Tampa in Tampa, Fla., recently broke ground on one of its largest academic facilities ever, according to a news release. The Dickey Science Innovation Center will measure 153,000 square feet and has a scheduled completion date of fall 2028. The five-story facility will feature teaching and research lab space for a wide variety of STEM disciplines.

It will play home to the university’s departments of biology, chemistry, and biochemistry, as well as resources and programs in marine science, forensic science, allied health, and environmental science. Its labs and research spaces were designed to support interdisciplinary collaboration and discovery, the news release reports.

University President Teresa Abi-Nader Dahlberg said that the facility will serve as the “centerpiece and catalyst in the University’s growing prominence in science education and research,” the news release reports. She also described the complexities of installing the specialized equipment necessary for modern research, including sophisticated instrumentation, aquariums, and labs that will house “sea horses, algae, sea slugs, cell cultures, crabs, and zebra fish.”

The building is named in honor of Dr. Stephen F. and Marsha Dickey, who also provided what Marsha Dickey called a “family generational gift” toward the facility’s construction. The existing Dickey Health Center on campus is also named after them.

The university gathered input from faculty, students, and donors during the building’s design, according to Scott Gossen, assistant vice president of design, construction, and facilities. The Dickey Science Innovation Center will also be the twelfth building on campus to achieve LEED certification.

About the Author

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

Featured

  • KWK Architects Announces Full Transition to Lawrence Group Branding

    KWK Architects recently announced that it will complete its transition to the Lawrence Group brand effective July 1, according to a news release. The merger marks the end of a three-year strategic integration process that began in March 2023 to unite the firms.

  • Washington State District Breaks Ground on New Elementary School

    Cheney School District No. 360 in Spokane County, Wash., recently announced that construction has begun on a new elementary school, according to local news. The district held a groundbreaking ceremony on May 18 in Airway Heights for the yet-to-be-named school, which is scheduled to open in fall 2027.

  • Phoenix School District Breaks Ground on New Prep Academy

    The Creighton Elementary School District near Phoenix, Ariz., recently broke ground on a campus replacement for Biltmore Preparatory Academy, according to a news release. The new space will allow the school to expand its enrollment by 50 percent for K–8 students and accommodate modern, collaborative learning styles.

  • Arizona District Breaks Ground on Community Training, Learning Center

    The Tolleson Union High School District (TUHSD) in Tolleson, Ariz., recently broke ground on a new Training & Learning Center (TLC) for both district professionals and the community at large, according to a news release. The 90,000-square-foot facility has an estimated completion date of spring 2027.