UGA completes Phase 2 of STEM Research Complex

The University held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of the second phase of the Interdisciplinary Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (I-STEM) Research Complex on Wednesday, Aug. 24.

The 101,000-square-foot, $64 million I-STEM Research Building 2, which was funded by a combination of university and state funds, will support collaborative research in chemistry, engineering and other scientific disciplines.

Paired with Building 1, which opened last fall, the completed I-STEM Research Complex adds more than 200,000 square feet of new space for research and instruction.

Franklin College of Arts and Sciences Dean Alan Dorsey, College of Engineering Dean Donald Leo and student speakers Lori Estes Bright and Christian Freeman addressed the audience:

“As we celebrate the newest I-STEM research building and the collaborative learning and spirit of discovery it represents, we are elated about where the work inside this great facility will take us next,” Dorsey said. “It’s a new view from this spot on our campus. A view not fixed in a geographical direction per se, but toward a future we can imagine with the progress and improvements of cures, new products, new materials and new knowledge.”

Those attending the ceremony were invited to take a self-guided tour of the new facility, where students and staff from the Franklin College and the College of Engineering provided information about research projects taking place in the labs.

Our chemistry and engineering colleagues have already moved in and set up shop in the sparkling new building, marking a sharp transition to modern facilities for both groups and new opportunities to work together. Congratulations to all on the completion of this monumental project and newest campus nexus for innovation. 

Image: Interior of STEM II with visitors (UGA photo).