{"id":44936,"date":"2025-10-30T16:34:26","date_gmt":"2025-10-30T21:34:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.und.edu\/und-today\/?p=44936"},"modified":"2025-10-31T12:30:38","modified_gmt":"2025-10-31T17:30:38","slug":"stem-u-new-buildings-promise-to-engineer-student-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.und.edu\/und-today\/2025\/10\/stem-u-new-buildings-promise-to-engineer-student-success\/","title":{"rendered":"STEM U: New buildings promise to engineer student success\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

How UND\u2019s STEM Complex and proposed Health Professions Collaborative Facility will grow key components of the state\u2019s workforce<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Rendering
The STEM Complex \u2014 STEM for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math \u2014\u00a0now under construction at the University of North Dakota, represents a commitment to the state of North Dakota\u2019s people and industry. Image courtesy of Clark & Enersen.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Let\u2019s start with just how striking the new buildings will be.<\/p>\n

When UND\u2019s new $163 million STEM Complex<\/strong><\/a> is complete, its very location by the Columbia Road overpass will be a recruiting tool, said Ryan Adams, dean of the UND College of Engineering & Mines<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the things this will do for Engineering is that it\u2019ll give us a central and prominent location on campus that is easy to get to,\u201d Adams said. Couple that with the building\u2019s state-of-the-art facilities and massive scale, and the result will be UND\u2019s STEM fields drawing more students than ever \u2014 the future scientists and engineers that North Dakota needs, Adams said.<\/p>\n

Likewise, the proposed Health Professions Collaborative Facility<\/strong><\/a> will be attached to the School of Medicine & Health Sciences, itself already a landmark structure farther north on Columbia Road.<\/p>\n

But the addition not only will make the facility even more impressive, it\u2019ll also serve as the new home of the UND College of Nursing & Professional Disciplines. That\u2019s huge, said Dr. Marjorie Jenkins, the School of Medicine & Health Sciences\u2019 dean and UND\u2019s vice president for Health Affairs<\/strong><\/a>:<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen the building is complete, we will be one of the few universities in the country that has almost every health profession under one roof,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I think that psychologically, even subconsciously, this will tell our students and faculty alike that we are working together. We\u2019re training together, we\u2019re learning together, we\u2019re doing research together; it\u2019ll be an amazing opportunity that will let everybody learn from each other.\u201d<\/p>\n

As the deans\u2019 comments suggest, UND proposed and is planning the above projects with North Dakota\u2019s workforce needs in mind. In this story, we\u2019ll describe those workforce impacts in more detail; Part 1 is about the STEM Complex, while Part 2 will center on the Health Professions Collaborative Facility.<\/p>\n

Part 1: The STEM Complex<\/h2>\n
\"Headshot
Brad Rundquist<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When UND broke ground this fall on the STEM Complex \u2014 STEM for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math \u2014 the celebration marked more than just the start of construction. For University leaders, state lawmakers \u2014 who very generously provided $110 million of the building\u2019s cost \u2014 and industry partners, the new facility represents a step toward solving one of North Dakota\u2019s most pressing challenges: building and keeping a skilled, homegrown workforce in science and engineering.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis project has been in the works for a long time,\u201d said Brad Rundquist, dean of the College of Arts & Sciences<\/strong><\/a>. \u201cThe whole philosophy behind the building is student success in science and engineering. Everything about it \u2014 the design, the mix of programs, the spaces for teamwork \u2014 is meant to recruit and retain students in those fields, because the state needs them.\u201d<\/p>\n

The new complex will rise on the former Hyslop Sports Center site along Columbia Road. Phase One, scheduled for completion in 2027, will house Chemistry teaching labs, Forensic Science facilities and Engineering spaces designed for collaboration. Phase Two, to be completed a few years later, will add classrooms and offices for Physics, Mathematics and other programs.<\/p>\n

When completed, the new building will become UND\u2019s largest investment yet in STEM education, and a highly visible centerpiece of campus life.<\/p>\n

\"Rendering
The construction of the new STEM Complex will proceed in two phases, shown here. Phase One will build the southern portion of the building, while Phase Two will construct the northern half. Image courtesy of Clark & Enersen.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Collaboration across disciplines<\/h2>\n

That visibility is key, and not only for prospective students, Adams said. Alumni and industry partners also are excited, given that they\u2019ll be able to park in the ramp across the street and walk right over.<\/p>\n

\"Headshot
Ryan Adams<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As important, the complex\u2019s design will encourage interdisciplinary learning in ways UND hasn\u2019t seen before. \u201cWhen I was an undergrad, Engineering students stayed in their own building. I almost never interacted with people outside my discipline,\u201d Adams said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis facility changes that. It brings chemistry, physics, math and multiple engineering disciplines together in one place.\u201d<\/p>\n

The entryway itself will be a mixing zone. Students are going to bump into each other \u2014 literally \u2014 and that\u2019s how great ideas start, Adams said.<\/p>\n

The collaborative spirit extends beyond campus, Rundquist said, noting that UND faculty have been meeting with industry partners to help shape the building\u2019s design. \u201cPeople are excited about the possibilities,\u201d Rundquist said. \u201cThey see UND\u2019s colleges working together on a single project, and that focus on student success really resonates.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stacie Bell, a 1991 graduate and member of the College of Arts & Sciences Advisory Board, noted UND\u2019s reputation for strong scientific programs that have enabled graduates to impact their chosen STEM fields.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe new STEM Complex will grow opportunities not only for students but for the broader UND community through multidisciplinary collaboration across departments and with various research partners,\u201d said Bell, who currently serves as chief clinical research officer for Lupus Therapeutics.<\/p>\n

\u201cCross-functional training and research in a state-of-the-art facility will ready students for dynamic careers in STEM and also result in advances that keep UND on the cutting edge.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hands-on learning, workplace readiness<\/h2>\n

Inside, the STEM Complex will be filled with spaces designed for hands-on, team-based learning \u2014 a shift from traditional classroom instruction. A new maker space will give students access to advanced tools for personal and group projects. Adjacent innovation spaces will host engineering clubs, rocketry teams and cross-disciplinary design groups.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven the Chemistry labs are being designed to reflect real-world workplaces,\u201d Rundquist noted. The Forensic Science program, for example, will move from old, repurposed medical labs into modern teaching and research labs. Along with modernization comes safety improvements and room to grow.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s going to be a safer, more comfortable environment for students \u2014 and a more inspiring one,\u201d Rundquist said.<\/p>\n

For Adams, the point is to prepare students for the kind of interdisciplinary teamwork they\u2019ll find in industry. And the new complex\u2019s adaptability will allow UND to evolve with technology: \u201cWe saw how quickly things changed when AI tools like ChatGPT arrived,\u201d Adams said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis building is designed to flex with those changes \u2014 to stay relevant as new technologies emerge. That\u2019s what will make our students competitive in the workforce.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Rendering
This rendering from the STEM Complex project’s website shows what a lab space in the new facility could look like. Image courtesy of Clark & Enersen.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A statewide investment in the future<\/h2>\n

For State Rep. Mark Sanford, R-Grand Forks, who serves on the Legislature\u2019s Interim Higher Education Institutions Committee, the project also represents smart long-term planning by both UND and the state.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe graduate about 7,500 high school students a year, and even if we kept all of them, it wouldn\u2019t be enough to meet North Dakota\u2019s needs,\u201d he said. \u201cThat means we have to attract students from outside the state and keep them here.\u201d And facilities like this \u2014 modern, collaborative, exciting \u2014 are a big part of how you do that, he added.<\/p>\n