UVU to break ground on new engineering and technology building
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- A rendering of the new Scott M. Smith College of Engineering and Technology building at Utah Valley University in Orem.
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- This map shows the location of the new Scott M. Smith Engineering and Technology building at Utah Valley University.
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- A rendering of the new Scott M. Smith College of Engineering and Technology building at Utah Valley University in Orem.
Utah Valley University will take another big step Thursday as it breaks ground on a new technology building on the Orem campus.
Ground will be broken on the Scott M. Smith College of Engineering and Technology building. It will include the latest tools and technologies for student success, according a university statement.
The event will begin at 1 p.m. with the turning of earth at 1:20 p.m. at 500 W. 1200 South in Orem.
The four-story building, supported by Qualtrics co-founder Scott Smith, will increase the space and equipment — classrooms, labs, conference rooms, auditoriums and technology — needed to train new engineers and computer scientists. The building will be located on the highest point on campus and will be prominently seen across Utah Valley.
“The new building will solve UVU’s need for more lab and engaged learning spaces, thus giving our students the learning experiences that they deserve. Our engineering programs have grown significantly, and we are poised to contribute even more to the workforce for Utah’s tech and other industries,” said UVU President Astrid S. Tuminez. “When finished, the engineering building will be visible from many points in Utah County. It will stand as a beacon to the Smiths’ and the university’s commitment to engineering and technology education and, more importantly, to the flourishing of our community.”
According to the university, the engineering and technology building has been designed as an object lesson for the engineering and computer science students who will study there. Smart sensors will allow faculty to use virtual and augmented reality and the building itself to teach students and visitors about structural design, heating and cooling, indoor and outdoor air quality, water and energy consumption, waste disposal and sustainability.
The computer and data collection systems, combined with artificial intelligence, will provide learning models for cybersecurity and data analysis. These will be used to operate the building in real time and respond to outside weather and other environmental factors. It will also include manufacturing, design, testing, and fabricating facilities.
“It has been a dream for Karen and me to be able to give back in a way that would positively impact people’s lives and help boost the local and state economies,” said Smith, naming his wife. “We feel like we are investing in the future of generations of new engineers and computer scientists and wanted to do it in Utah County. Karen and I grew up here. Our children were raised here, and we started Qualtrics in our home in Provo, Utah. Utah Valley University holds a special place in our hearts.”
UVU offers nine accredited engineering or engineering-related programs, including civil, computer, electrical, mechanical and software engineering, computer science, information systems, information technology and construction management.
The new building comes at a time of demand for more engineers and computer scientists in Utah, the university statement said. Utah’s state colleges and universities together produce more than 3,000 engineers and computer scientists annually, but it is estimated there are 4,000 unfulfilled positions in the statewide economy. There are more than 2,000 students in the engineering and technology programs at UVU, and that number continues to increase, according to statistics shared by the university.
The new building is expected to be completed sometime in 2025.
