Southern Arkansas University is hosting a dedication ceremony of the new Engineering Building at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 5.
The public is encouraged to attend the ceremony and tour the facility. Speaking at the program will include Congressman Bruce Westerman, an engineer by training, and SAU President Dr. Trey Berry. Arkansas National Guard Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Mark Berry is flying into campus on a Blackhawk helicopter to attend. For guests who are driving in, parking will be available behind Wharton Nursing Building.
Following the program, Engineering faculty and students will be running demonstrations of 3-D printing, robotics, and instrumentation use throughout the facility. Light refreshments will also be served.
After the National Guard Armory building was granted back to the University in 2015, a $1.4 million renovation project turned it into a state-of-the-art engineering facility neighboring the SAU Science Center. Six labs were created along with three large classrooms, and the motor pool area is being converted to a machine shop for hands-on instruction and training.
The interior of the building will be named the Robert and Edna (Cook) Norvell in honor of a gift of more than $1 million by the alumna. Edna Norvell recently shared with Berry that she chose to make the gift because of all the generous people who helped her while she was a student at Magnolia A&M (now SAU). Funds from this endowment will benefit future students in the form of what will be known as NORCO SAU Engineering Scholarships.
SAU Engineering, which started fall of 2014, has seen steady enrollment growth. Enrollment numbers for fall 2016 show close to 200 declared majors, up from 172 in fall 2015.
The popularity of SAU Engineering, the only such program in all of south Arkansas and most affordable in the state, is due to many reasons, according to Berry. Strong industry support since the program’s inception has offered students internships and job opportunities. This support has also translated into more than $400,000 in gifts and grants from industry partners to provide the program with the latest technologies and equipment so students enter the workforce with hands-on experience.
SAU Engineering offers several areas of emphasis, including Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Engineering Technology, and a new Welding Engineering Technology program developed by the SAU System. This new program is started this fall and is one-of-a-kind in Arkansas and among only a few in the country. The Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board approved SAU’s addition of a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Physics with an option in Welding Engineering Technology at the Board’s April 22 meeting. This integrated program utilizes the strengths of both SAU and SAU Tech and will provide highly skilled welding supervisors for the region’s aerospace defense and oil and gas industries.
