A rendering of the future home of the School of Data Science and the NSCC.
JUNE 9, 2020 — The University of Texas at San Antonio today announced it has awarded the contract for design build services for its School of Data Science and National Security Collaboration Center, two major initiatives at its Downtown Campus that will serve as the hub for its data intelligence and cybersecurity programs.
Whiting-Turner | Jacobs | Overland has been selected to design and construct the building, which will house both programs. The $90 million facility is slated to open in 2022 on a property that abuts the San Pedro Creek project just east of the existing Downtown Campus footprint. Once completed and occupied, the building will house programs anchoring UTSA to San Antonio’s burgeoning high-tech corridor. It is also adjacent to the Continental Hotel redevelopment project, led by Weston Urban. Some housing for students, staff and faculty will be available because of that project.
The School of Data Science and National Security Collaboration Center are part of UTSA’s vision to help the university earn national recognition as a research-intensive institution. It is a critical component of UTSA’s Campus Master Plan, which charts a course for the university to reach new levels of excellence over the next 10 years.
“The School of Data Science will be the first of its kind in Texas and, combined with the power of the National Security Collaboration Center, will be a formidable leader in addressing national security challenges,” UTSA President Taylor Eighmy said. “I am grateful to Graham Weston for his original lead gift of $15 million that enabled this project to go forward with support from The University of Texas Board of Regents and University of Texas System, the City of San Antonio and Bexar County. Partnering with our city’s high-tech leaders, this project will set UTSA and San Antonio apart as pioneers in data science and cybersecurity while providing innovative solutions for government and industry.”
Whiting-Turner | Jacobs | Overland was one of three top teams evaluated for the design contract, based on 12 criteria: project site planning and exterior place making; building program; design intent; security, information technology and communication systems; safety management program; construction phase services; project execution plan; estimating and cost control measures; project planning and scheduling; warranty and service support program; quality control and commissioning program; and pricing and delivery.
Selection was made using a qualitative blind scoring system that ranked their proposals as the best value to the university for the project based on those 12 criteria.
The new facility will house the School of Data Science, including 84,500 square feet of classroom, laboratory and research space. The new school will place UTSA’s 70-plus faculty members in cybersecurity, cloud computing, data and analytics, and artificial intelligence under one roof in the heart of the city to provide government, industry and community partners with access to UTSA’s nationally recognized programs and talent.
The School of Data Science will become the home to UTSA’s departments of Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Statistics and Data Sciences, Information Systems and Cyber Security, and the Open Cloud Institute.
The new facility will also include 72,000 square feet of innovation space, laboratories and research facilities for the National Security Collaboration Center. It will serve as a hub for government, university and industry partners in the cybersecurity field, focusing on forensics; visualization and analytics; network security, cyber training and workforce development; big data analytics and privacy; postquantum cryptography, cyber-physical systems and embedded security; the security of the cloud; attack and threat modeling and mitigation; machine learning and artificial intelligence; and platform, software and hardware integrity.
The Downtown Campus already includes academic programs administered by the College of Architecture, Construction and Planning; the College for Health, Community and Policy; and the College of Education and Human Development.
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The Racial Justice Book Club was established at UTSA by members of the campus community to explore social justice following acts of racial violence across the nation over the last few years. We are reading The Injustice Never Leaves You: Anti-Mexican Violence in Texas by Monica Muñoz Martinez. We will meet every Wednesday in September and October at 2 pm on Zoom.
Virtual EventWe invite you to learn about the process of screenwriting and explore the intersection of identity and pursuing dreams from Jorge Ramirez-Martinez and Raymond Perez, screenwriters for the Selena: The Series, released on Netflix. They will discuss their careers and writing process, including how their identities as Mexican American and gay men have shaped their professional experiences.
Virtual EventPlease join us in remembering those who have entered the next part of life by designing a nicho box in their memory. This workshop will provide the necessary items to create your nicho box, though please remember to bring a photo or small object that can fit in a 3.5 x5x1 inch box (small jewelry box).
John Peace Library GroupSpot B, Main CampusCome celebrate the end of Hispanic Heritage Month with La Comunidad at The University of Texas at San Antonio. We will have food, games and dancing!
H-E-B Student Union Ballroom 1 & 2, Main CampusLMSA invites you to join us in celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month through an interactive cooking lesson! This cultural experience will teach you how to prepare a popular Mexican dish, street taquitos. You will be able to sample this dish and learn the recipe to use in your own home.
Recreation Wellness Center Demo KitchenFuture Roadrunners will see what Roadrunner life is all about at UTSA Day. All of Main Campus transforms into our UTSA Day open house for Future Roadrunners and their families to explore the university experience.
Main CampusLearn about the LGBTQIA+ community and being an Ally and advocate for LGBTQIA+ people, communities, and the issues that impact the LGBTQIA+ community.
Multicultural Student Center for Equity and Justice Lounge, Main CampusThe 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 ending generations of discrimination and inequity. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.
