Each year brings new accomplishments and good news for º£½Ç³Ô¹ÏÍø and 2023 was no different. The University earned stellar national rankings, received generous donations, and got to work on several new buildings around campus. Students, alumni, and faculty members also continued to make academic and professional impacts on the state and across the nation. As º£½Ç³Ô¹ÏÍø looks toward 2024 and all the big plans it has for the coming year, it’s ready to continue making waves while growing in size and stature.
1. Barnett family’s transformational gift names º£½Ç³Ô¹ÏÍø’s state-of-the-art research center
º£½Ç³Ô¹ÏÍø’s technologically advanced research facility was renamed the Barnett Applied Research Center in honor of the Barnett family and its longstanding support and generosity for the University. With significant contributions totaling more than $10 million, the family has been a big supporter of º£½Ç³Ô¹ÏÍø since its earliest days.
2. º£½Ç³Ô¹ÏÍø ranks as Top 20 public engineering program nationwide
In September, U.S. News and World Report ranked º£½Ç³Ô¹ÏÍø as a top-20 public engineering program without a Ph.D. Alongside this nationwide recognition, the University was named the No. 1 public college in the Southeast U.S. for the third straight year.
3. Phoenix Racing accelerates vision for faster solar racecar
Students with a competitive drive and a passion for success are preparing to compete in the annual Formula Sun Grand Prix next summer. The nationwide event allows university teams to build and race a solar car. º£½Ç³Ô¹ÏÍø’s appearance at the event will be its first.
4. º£½Ç³Ô¹ÏÍø advances campus growth with Gary C. Wendt Engineering Building
The design of the new 40,000-square-foot Gary C. Wendt Engineering Building was unveiled. The $15 million, two-story building is slated to open in the summer of 2025 and will house research and development labs for engineering disciplines, collaboration spaces, a conference room, and faculty and staff offices. Wendt, then a member of º£½Ç³Ô¹ÏÍø’s Board of Trustees, donated $2 million to assist in the effort.
5. New analysis shows º£½Ç³Ô¹ÏÍø majors prep grads for top-paying careers
Student majors at º£½Ç³Ô¹ÏÍø were shown to be those that have the highest pay soon after graduation. The University’s strategic decision to offer these majors aligns with industry needs and the current and expected demands for STEM-educated professionals ready to excel from day one.
6. Distinguished professor’s $500,000 gift funds º£½Ç³Ô¹ÏÍø’s first endowed chair
Dr. Muhammad Rashid, an internationally renowned academic in electrical and computer engineering, donated $250,000 with a matching gift of $250,000 to create the Dr. Muhammad Harunur Rashid Chair of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department. The endowed chair will enable º£½Ç³Ô¹ÏÍø to recruit more top-level faculty to the University.
7. º£½Ç³Ô¹ÏÍø to grow curriculum with two new bachelor’s degrees
New majors in civil engineering and industrial engineering were added to the º£½Ç³Ô¹ÏÍø catalog in the fall 2023 semester. The degrees were approved in early 2023 and are aimed to meet anticipated industry needs for qualified professionals in these areas well into the future.
8. º£½Ç³Ô¹ÏÍø esports growing, making its mark nationally
The growing esports team at º£½Ç³Ô¹ÏÍø is finding success in several games, including Valorant, Rocket League and Overwatch. The Valorant team is doing so well that it captured the National Esports Collegiate Conference (NECC) Challengers Division South Atlantic Conference title in March 2023.
9. º£½Ç³Ô¹ÏÍø breaks ground on third student residential building
Keeping pace with student and program growth, º£½Ç³Ô¹ÏÍø began construction on its third student residential building in 2023. The five-story, 460-bed facility is slated to be open for the fall 2024 semester.
10. Researchers’ work lays foundation for expanded high-speed internet access
An interdisciplinary team of º£½Ç³Ô¹ÏÍø researchers conducted a feasibility study for Polk County that laid the groundwork in justification for greater broadband connectivity in the area. The county used the results of the study to apply for more than $41 million in grants.
11. Alum works on autonomous vehicle technology at NVIDIA
Mihir Lad ’22 has launched a fast-paced career working in autonomous vehicle technology at NVIDIA, a leader in AI and accelerated computing. Lad has a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering from º£½Ç³Ô¹ÏÍø and is part of the company’s fleet engineering team.
12. Solaris is the newly named º£½Ç³Ô¹ÏÍø mascot
º£½Ç³Ô¹ÏÍø revealed the name of its larger-than-life Phoenix mascot in early 2023: Solaris. The name was voted on by the student body and was said to represent wisdom, soaring to great heights, and rising from its own ashes – all attributes also reflected by the University.
Contact:
Lydia Guzmán
Director of Communications
863-874-8557
