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A
55,000
square
foot,
cutting-edge
hub
for
computer
science,
mathematics,
physics
and
engineering
is
now
elevating
advanced
learning,
research
and
collaboration
at
Baldwin
Wallace
University.
Classes began gathering in The Austin E. Knowlton Center on Tuesday, January 19, the first day of the spring 2021 semester.
A virtual ribbon-cutting ceremony and online tour, led by BW President Bob Helmer and Dean James McCargar, marked the opening, which was also featured by Crain's Cleveland Business.
Contractors, faculty and staff were busy over the winter break moving in and setting up classrooms, labs and collaboration spaces for safe physical distancing.
At the same time, faculty are envisioning and planning new opportunities for hands-on testing, analysis and innovation enabled by the incredible, new facilities.
While Knowlton is the academic home of four BW STEM disciplines, faculty are already laying the groundwork for projects that will involve students and faculty from academic programs across campus.
The
building's
impressive
features,
designed
with
input
from
industry
leaders,
faculty
and
students,
include
a
soaring
glass
atrium
with
a
forum
staircase,
which
offers
ample
seating
for
special
events
and
is
outfitted
with
a
large-screen
laser
projection
system.
The lobby also features an exposed elevator shaft elegantly wrapped in an ombre pattern of salvaged campus tree wood.
The building is home to a dozen flexible, tech-enabled classrooms, along with 10 team workspaces that mimic what graduates will find in professional work environments.
But the building's laboratories may be the star attraction. "The Knowlton Center's advanced labs will foster collaboration between sciences as students, faculty and regional business partners work together to solve unscripted problems," Dean McCargar noted.
For example, the fabrication lab ("fab lab") will enable engineering students to design, prototype and build real-world projects with regional industry and government partners.
According to Dr. Jennifer Kadlowec, professor and chair of engineering at BW, "The new maker space will allow prototype and final production of parts for projects in engineering and computer science, such as in IoT (Internet of Things) and mechatronics. Users across campus, from entrepreneurship to the arts, are also interested in leveraging the maker facilities."
Kadlowec adds that both maker and fab labs will foster "sustainable design to meet needs here at home and abroad, including in the developing world."
The
data
visualization
lab
will
support
math
and
computer
science
students
as
they
track
and
graph
data
for
the
data-centric
challenges
of
business
and
society,
while
the
user
experience
(UX)
lab,
with
both
recorded
and
live
observation
options,
will
help
students
understand
and
build
empathy
for
the
users
of
their
software.
"Students will experience first-hand the importance of considering user needs at every step of the software development lifecycle," explained Dr. Andrew Watkins, associate professor and chair of computer science.
The spacious robotics lab will host a variety of robotic platforms for experimentation. Faculty anticipate the acquisition of humanoid robotics that will open the door to collaboration across BW disciplines to explore and solve a range of interesting problems.
Faculty are also eager to host outreach programs like tech and science camps, hackathons and competitions to benefit younger students throughout Northeast Ohio.
Construction
of
the
$25
million
project,
completed
on
time
in
spite
of
the
global
pandemic,
was
supported
by
a
number
of
generous
donations,
including
an
$8
million
grant
from
The
Austin
E.
Knowlton
Foundation.
Additional corporate and foundation support included major gifts from OEC, a Richfield-based, Software as a Service technology company; The Harding Family Charitable Trust; and FirstEnergy Foundation and FirstEnergy Corporation.
At an October 2019 groundbreaking for the building, President Helmer expressed BW's deep gratitude to the project funders. "This investment comes at the right time for Northeast Ohio, as demonstrated by the strong support of generous donors who have rallied around this project."
The Austin E. Knowlton Center was designed by The Collaborative with construction led by AMHigley.
Watch a replay of the virtual ribbon-cutting ceremony and Knowlton Center tour below.
