Building will include the latest tools and technologies for student success
OREM, Utah — Utah Valley University (UVU) will break ground tomorrow, Sept. 21 at 1 p.m. on the Scott M. Smith College of Engineering and Technology Building on the university’s Orem Campus at 500 W. 1200 S.
The four-story building, supported by Qualtrics co-founder Scott M. Smith, will be the highest point on the campus and will provide much-needed space for the university’s engineering and technology programs.
“The new building will solve UVU’s need for more lab and engaged learning spaces, thus giving our students the learning experiences that they deserve. Our engineering programs have grown significantly, and we are poised to contribute even more to the workforce for Utah’s tech and other industries,” said UVU President Astrid S. Tuminez. “When finished, the engineering building will be visible from many points in Utah County. It will stand as a beacon to the Smiths’ and the university’s commitment to engineering and technology education, and, more importantly, to the flourishing of our community.”
The engineering and technology building has been innovatively designed as an object lesson for the engineering and computer science students who will study there. Smart sensors will allow faculty to use virtual and augmented reality and the building itself to teach students and visitors about structural design, heating and cooling, indoor and outdoor air quality, water and energy consumption, waste disposal, and sustainability.
The computer and data collection systems, combined with artificial intelligence, will provide learning models for cybersecurity and data analysis. These will be used to operate the building in real time and respond to outside weather and other environmental factors. It will also include manufacturing, design, testing, and fabricating facilities.
“It has been a dream for Karen and me to be able to give back in a way that would positively impact people’s lives and help boost the local and state economies,” said Scott M. Smith. “We feel like we are investing in the future of generations of new engineers and computer scientists and wanted to do it in Utah County. Karen and I grew up here. Our children were raised here, and we started Qualtrics in our home in Provo, Utah. Utah Valley University holds a special place in our hearts.”
UVU offers nine accredited engineering or engineering-related programs, including civil, computer, electrical, mechanical, and software engineering, computer science, information systems, information technology, and construction management. The new building comes at a critical time when there is an acute demand for more engineers and computer scientists in Utah.
Utah’s state colleges and universities together produce more than 3,000 engineers and computer scientists annually, but there remain approximately 4,000 unfulfilled positions in the statewide economy. There are more than 2,000 students in the engineering and technology programs at UVU, and that number continues to increase.
The Scott M. Smith College of Engineering and Technology Building is expected to be completed in 2025.
Please visit the Scott M. Smith College of Engineering and Technology Building website for more information about UVU’s planned engineering and technology building.
