The new Biomedical Science and Education Facility coming to the Universities at Shady Grove could mean more educational and employment opportunities in science, technology, engineering, math and medical sciences for University of Maryland students.
“We may very well offer courses at [the Biomedical Science and Education Facility] that are not available in College Park,” university President Wallace Loh said during the groundbreaking ceremony today in Rockville, the location of the Shady Grove campus. “We’re trying to spread it out, because they have the capacity here.” The 220,000-square-foot facility will bring 11 degree programs, including engineering, biotechnology, dentistry and information science through a partnership of three research universities — this university, University of Maryland, Baltimore and University of Maryland, Baltimore County — said Stewart Edelstein, executive director of the Universities at Shady Grove.
“The students in the region are going to have the opportunity to get the best degrees in science and technology that the state of Maryland has to offer,” Edelstein said. “We’re helping the region grow, and we’re helping the regions grow in the industries that are going to be important to its future.”
The building is set to open in 2019, and the facility’s programs will not only broaden opportunities for students in Montgomery County and entice local businesses to invest in USG graduates, said USG Board Vice Chair Michael Knapp.
“Businesses in Montgomery County don’t need to go looking for talent; we need to cultivate it,” Knapp said to local officials and more than 100 students who attended the ceremony.
The facility will be essential to developing a strong local workforce, Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford said.
“Maryland is proud to be home to one of the highest skilled work forces in the nation,” Rutherford said. “We are committed to making sure our schools and universities are creating opportunities that pave a clear pathway to careers and produce students who have both the skills as well as the opportunities they need to be prepared for those jobs of the future.”
The building, designed by architectural firm Cooper Carry and its partner Lake/Flato is set to be “one of the most sustainably sourced and built laboratory buildings in the country,” according to a press release from USG.
The multipurpose building will house laboratories, collaborative learning spaces, academic offices and student services, according to the press release.
“One of the biggest things it’s going to bring is not just the majors … but it’s also going to open up a whole new student life,” said USG student ambassador Eleni Stamoulis. “We will be able to do a lot more to help the student population.”
