A four-foot tall mechanized vehicle, its body covered
with a UTSA T-shirt, and its head, a silver tray holding oversized
blue scissors, delighted more than 250 guests today as it wheeled its
way through the crowd and delivered the ceremonial scissors for the
official dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony for the $84 million
Biotechnology Sciences and Engineering building on the 1604 campus of
The University of Texas at San Antonio.
"Edward Scissorhead" was designed by robotics engineering students Long Chen, Shawn Liu, Chris Torres and Daniel Johnson.
The 227,000-square-foot, five-story Biotechnology Sciences and Engineering Building is the largest at UTSA and one of the largest research-related educational centers in Texas.
The building includes 70 research and instructional laboratories that will facilitate interdisciplinary research and collaboration between scientists and engineers. The facility will accommodate graduate students studying biotechnology, biology, biomedical engineering, electrical and civil engineering, and chemistry.
"Today is a great day for UTSA and a great day for Texas," said UTSA President Ricardo Romo. "As UTSA continues its journey to become a top-100 research university, this campus addition becomes a cornerstone. Novel ideas and scientific discoveries made within these walls will create solutions to problems and change the future of our city, our state and our country."
Designed by FKP Architects Inc. of Houston, specialists in hospital design, the facility was built by J.T. Vaughn Construction Inc. of San Antonio.
Funding for the $84 million building came from a variety of sources. The University of Texas System Board of Regents allocated $54 million for the project and the Texas Legislature approved $23 million. The remaining $7 million was raised through gifts and grants, including a $1.5 million grant from the U. S. Dept. of Commerce Economic Development Administration, $1 million contribution from the City of San Antonio and a $500,000 donation from AT&T Inc., formerly SBC Communications.
Over the last 18 months, UTSA recruited 22 science faculty and five engineering faculty in preparation for the opening of the BSE Building. Within this group are six faculty members who collectively bring more than $6 million in external research funding with them.
Today, the College of Sciences includes 134 full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty and 8,823 students. The College of Engineering includes 42 full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty and 2,810 students.
UTSA is the second largest institution in the UT system. Celebrating its 36th anniversary, UTSA serves more than 27,200 students enrolled in 62 bachelor's, 43 master's and 18 doctoral degree programs.
"Edward Scissorhead" was designed by robotics engineering students Long Chen, Shawn Liu, Chris Torres and Daniel Johnson.
The 227,000-square-foot, five-story Biotechnology Sciences and Engineering Building is the largest at UTSA and one of the largest research-related educational centers in Texas.
The building includes 70 research and instructional laboratories that will facilitate interdisciplinary research and collaboration between scientists and engineers. The facility will accommodate graduate students studying biotechnology, biology, biomedical engineering, electrical and civil engineering, and chemistry.
"Today is a great day for UTSA and a great day for Texas," said UTSA President Ricardo Romo. "As UTSA continues its journey to become a top-100 research university, this campus addition becomes a cornerstone. Novel ideas and scientific discoveries made within these walls will create solutions to problems and change the future of our city, our state and our country."
Designed by FKP Architects Inc. of Houston, specialists in hospital design, the facility was built by J.T. Vaughn Construction Inc. of San Antonio.
Funding for the $84 million building came from a variety of sources. The University of Texas System Board of Regents allocated $54 million for the project and the Texas Legislature approved $23 million. The remaining $7 million was raised through gifts and grants, including a $1.5 million grant from the U. S. Dept. of Commerce Economic Development Administration, $1 million contribution from the City of San Antonio and a $500,000 donation from AT&T Inc., formerly SBC Communications.
Over the last 18 months, UTSA recruited 22 science faculty and five engineering faculty in preparation for the opening of the BSE Building. Within this group are six faculty members who collectively bring more than $6 million in external research funding with them.
Today, the College of Sciences includes 134 full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty and 8,823 students. The College of Engineering includes 42 full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty and 2,810 students.
UTSA is the second largest institution in the UT system. Celebrating its 36th anniversary, UTSA serves more than 27,200 students enrolled in 62 bachelor's, 43 master's and 18 doctoral degree programs.