Help us raise $1M to name a classroom in the renovated Funkhouser Building, and an endowed scholarship, in honor of DB!
Funhouser Floor Plans and naming opportunities have been revealed!
Our role in the engineering talent pipeline is critical. We have the sightlines and connections into the K-12 system to identify and recruit engineering talent. We have the ability to hone that talent to the needs of businesses and industry through our academic programs. And, we have the connections to place that talent where it can have meaningful impact for our graduates, the businesses that hire them and the communities where they live. This building will support every future engineering student in the college by enhancing the hands-on approach to engineering education.
To meet the new and complex challenges of a world built on technology, our students need increased opportunities to roll up their sleeves and tackle real-world problems. The Funkhouser Building modernization will give them a space for that.
The architects for the Funkhouser Modernization project were hired earlier this year and programming and design are underway. The program concept adds 61,000 square feet of newly constructed and renovated space. We recently identified high priority areas that we expect will be housed in the renovated building, including approximately 23,000 square feet for a best-in-class makerspace, and sizeable workspaces for capstone design projects and student organizations. We also anticipate the entire Biomedical Engineering Department, and biomedical research and faculty and initiatives emphasizing Engineering for Human Health, will make up a significant portion of the available space. Finally, a state-of-the-art theater-style classroom, research labs, workshops, and shared meeting spaces, round out our current vision to secure the future for engineering education in the state of Kentucky.
The new Engineering Maker Space inside the Funkhouser building will span two floors and serve as a central hub for students to gain experience working with the machines, tools, and technology they will use upon graduation in their respective industries. The expanded footprint allows us to broaden the capabilities for student manufacturing including fully accessible wood and metal shops, modern 3D printing, electrical workstations, and more integrated with spaces for student competition teams and capstone design.
This move toward experiential learning has been inspired by the stories and advice of our alumni and our understanding of the growing needs of businesses that require graduates to be ready and prepared to make an impact on ever-changing challenges they face in the workplace. The connection of this expanded modern maker space with both formal coursework and extracurricular projects across all years of students will enable deeper integration of experiential learning throughout our programs.
Additional newly constructed space
Additional for Best-in-Class Makerspace
of student design and collaborative space
The Funkhouser building will also be the new home of the F. Joseph Halcomb III, M.D. Department of Biomedical Engineering.
The modernization project will add 35,000 square feet of experiential and wet-laboratory space focusing on life sciences, biomedical teaching, and research.
The Biomedical Engineering Suite will house biomedical engineering faculty as well as faculty across other engineering and healthcare disciplines whose research relates to human health. A central location for faculty creates an environment where ideas merge in the search of solutions to complex health challenges facing both Kentuckians, Americans and the world beyond.
This fall, the College welcomed a record incoming class of 865. The addition of two 80-person classrooms and a 150-person classroom supports the growing number of engineering students we serve in the college. The presence of these large and modern classrooms means that our students will be in closer proximity to other instructional labs, student organization centers, and the maker space where they engage in both class and individual projects.
The 150-person classroom can be flexed to operate as a social event space for the college where we look forward to hosting distinguished lecturers, college celebrations and other functions.
Alumni & Philanthropy Senior Director of Philanthropy
