How much will the new center cost?
The total cost is about $290 million, with $100 million coming from philanthropic support.
Where will the EERC be located?
The Engineering Sciences Building (ENS) will be demolished and the EERC will be constructed on that site. It will be connected to Ernest Cockrell Jr. Hall. View a map of the proposed EERC.
When will construction begin?
The Cockrell School will solicit design bids by summer 2010. The goal is to begin construction in 2012. If the timelines hold, the building will be completed in 2016.
Will the EERC be a "green building"?
Yes. The University of Texas at Austin requires all new construction to be rated at least Silver LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. The EERC will feature the latest technology in energy efficiency, construction and operations.
Why is the EERC the first building, and why is ECE the first department to have a new building?
The ECE Department occupies a large and obsolete building on a very strategic site. The redevelopment of this area unlocks the potential for future development outlined in the Master Facility Plan. Also, ECE is an enabling discipline with programs in computer architecture, microelectronics and micro-systems, wireless and network communications and control, systems engineering, software engineering and power systems engineering. These areas are central to addressing the school's strategic research priorities.
What are the projected benefits of the new center?
Projected benefits of the new center include:
- The Cockrell School projects it will double current ECE research expenditures of $14 million per year, to a total of $28 million per year.
- New teaching laboratories will allow innovations in curriculum that are impossible with the current facilities, improving our ability to attract top undergraduate students, increase graduation rates and improve student learning outcomes.
- Centralized space will improve the student experience, leading to greater student success, and collaborative opportunities in formal and informal programmed learning environments.
- The Center for Entrepreneurship will provide more opportunities for commercialization of intellectual property, with opportunities for generating license revenue and startup companies.
