Whitacre's gift will support the UTSA Science and Engineering Building, which is set to open in 2020. Photo credit: Alamo Architects and Treanor HL
(April 10, 2019) -- The UTSA College of Engineering confirmed a commitment of $500,000 from Ed Whitacre in support of the Science and Engineering Building, currently under construction and slated to open in 2020. The new building will provide 153,000 square feet of laboratory, classroom and meeting space to support students and research in engineering, brain health, biology and chemistry.
Whitacre, former chairman of the Board of ExxonMobil, has been a generous donor to UTSA for many years.
“The UTSA College of Engineering continues to position itself to become one of the top five Engineering Programs in the state of Texas. I am pleased to assist the College as they acquire resources to train engineering students in a progressive learning environment, while exposing them to authentic project management experience,” Whitacre said.
The first floor of the building, sized at 32,650 square feet, will be dedicated to an innovative Makerspace that will include collaboration and project assembly space, a design studio, a machine shop, a 3D printing room, and cutting-edge equipment that will elevate the student learning experience in the UTSA College of Engineering. In alignment with UTSA’s mission to become a model for student success, exposure to a Makerspace with ample resources will enhance students’ knowledge of the materials, tools, resources and environments they will encounter in the professional workplace.
Whitacre’s support will specifically impact one of the integral components that will accelerate and improve the process for students to complete senior design projects, which are required for graduation: a 3D metal printer. The 3D metal printer offers additive manufacturing technology that uses powdered metals to create intricate and durable components of various sizes. This piece of equipment is prominently used in industry and will offer students the efficient engineering solutions to manufacture senior design project prototypes, some of which have the potential to be taken to market, and engineering organization competitive teams.
“Mr. Whitacre’s donation will allow UTSA students to graduate with the knowledge, competitive skills set, and experience to enter the workforce and compete with engineering graduates from top performing programs across the country, as well as engineering professionals,” said JoAnn Browning, dean of the UTSA College of Engineering. “The overall student experience in the College of Engineering will transform through a well-equipped Makerspace.”
Donors like Ed Whitacre are raising the stature of the Engineering Program, and helping the college equip its faculty and students, so they can advance in a rich learning environment. In turn, this provides the City of San Antonio with a strong pipeline of engineering graduates who are prepared to solve problems and develop engineering solutions that will impact the communities they work and live in.
Ed Whitacre is also the former chairman and CEO of General Motors, and former chairman of the board and CEO of AT&T.
Learn more about the UTSA Science and Engineering Building.
Learn more about the UTSA College of Engineering.
Celebrate UTSA’s 50th Anniversary and share social media posts about the 50th using the hashtag #UTSA50.
Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn.
UTSA Today is produced by University Communications and Marketing, the official news source of The University of Texas at San Antonio. Send your feedback to news@utsa.edu. Keep up-to-date on UTSA news by visiting UTSA Today. Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Instagram.
Don’t mind the writing but hate formatting citations and bibliographies? Working on your thesis or dissertation, or even a long paper this semester? Citation managers such as Zotero® can help you store and organize the citations you find during your research. Take part in this session about using Zotero®.
Virtual EventDid you know the library offers much more than books and study spaces? Our librarians can also support your research and publishing and strengthen your instruction. Join us for a one-hour workshop about all that UTSA Libraries offers.
Virtual EventNeed a Job/Internship? Connect with over 80+ employers in the Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics industry looking to fill their opportunities. This event is the perfect chance to start building your career path.
Galleria & Bexar Rooms, H-E-B Ballrooms, Main CampusAre you interested in learning more about incorporating digital methods into your research? This workshop will introduce you to approaches and tools that can help support your research. Through hands-on activities, you will learn about text analysis and digital mapping and how these methods can enrich your projects.
Group Spot B, 2.01.22, John Peace LibraryLearn to use the simple but powerful features of EndNote®, a citation management tool. In this hands-on workshop, participants will learn to setup an EndNote library, save references and PDFs, and automatically create and edit a bibliography.
Virtual EventAproduction of the Gudalupe Cultural Arts Center, Rio Bravo showcases the vibrant music and dance traditions of the Texas-Mexico border region. Featuring the Guadalupe Dance Company and Mariachi Azteca de América, the performances will be filmed live both nights, courtesy of UTSA's College of Liberal and Fine Arts.
UTSA Downtown CampusCheer on our Roadrunners as they face Houston Christian University. Featuring a special halftime show with Ballet Folklórico Sol de San Antonio and Mariachi Los Paisanos performing with the Spirit of San Antonio Marching Band.
AlamodomeThe University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.
To be a premier public research university, providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.
We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.
UTSA is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the U.S. Department of Education .
The University of Texas at San Antonio, a Hispanic Serving Institution situated in a global city that has been a crossroads of peoples and cultures for centuries, values diversity and inclusion in all aspects of university life. As an institution expressly founded to advance the education of Mexican Americans and other underserved communities, our university is committed to promoting access for all. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.
