The UF College of Engineering received a $1 million donation for the construction of a five-story engineering hub.
Subroto Bagchi and his wife, Susmita, donated to the construction of the Innovation Nexus Building. Bagchi is chairman of Mindtree, an international information technology and outsourcing company based in India.
The college has already received $3 million for the $53 million building, which will be located near the Reitz Union.
Subroto Bagchi has had a relationship with the College of Engineering since 2011, after UF and the state of Florida invited the company to start a U.S. Development Center in Gainesville, according to a UF press release.
Helen Goh, director of marketing and communications for the college, wrote in an email that many engineering schools across the country have an engineering hub, and UF will finally have its own.
“What we have is ‘East Hall – Living and Learning Community’,” she wrote. “But what we need is a collision space where students can think, learn, have hands-on engineering experience with fellow students as well as with faculty.”
While a construction date for the project has yet to be set, the university is still receiving donations.
The building, designed by a London-based architecture firm called Grimshaw, will be a part of the college’s contribution to UF’s preeminence initiative.
Students at the College of Engineering can expect to use a prototyping lab, an advanced manufacturing facility and a design lab for freshmen.
Luis Chong, a 20-year-old UF engineering junior, said he is disappointed he might miss out on the development but is excited for the future of UF’s engineers.
“I think it’s a good way to increase the quality of education of the students here,” he said. “Especially since more engineering students keep entering the program.”
The drawings for the project will be released at the end of the year.
“Our goal is to see further improvement in graduation rates, closer ties with industry and a direct enhancement on the State’s workforce development efforts,” Cammy Abernathy, UF College of Engineering dean, said in an official statement.
[A version of this story ran on page 5 on 9/19/2014 under the headline "College of Engineering receives $1 million for new building"]
