PLATTEVILLE, Wis. —  More than 300 members of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville community and tri-state region gathered to celebrate the opening of Sesquicentennial Hall – UW-Platteville’s newest, $55 million state-of-the-art engineering building – at a ribbon-cutting celebration on Sept. 1.

“While showcasing our strengths in the recognition of more than 150 years of being Pioneers in education, Sesquicentennial Hall marks the beginning of a new era for UW-Platteville,” said UW-Platteville Interim Chancellor Dr. Tammy Evetovich. “Sesquicentennial Hall will not only attract more students, but most importantly, provide more hands-on learning experiences that will forever change the future of our students and university.”

Chancellor Evetovich thanked a number of supporters and partners who made this project a reality, including the UW System, the Wisconsin Department of Administration, alumni and corporate partners, and local state legislators – Wisconsin State Senator Howard Marklein and Representatives Travis Tranel and Todd Novak – who were instrumental in gaining approval for the funding in the 2017-19 state budget.

“Simply put, Sesquicentennial Hall transforms how we teach and learn. This building is a true Pioneer,” said Chancellor Evetovich.

Sesquicentennial Hall adjoins Busby Hall of Engineering, creating a 200,000-square-foot state-of-the-art complex that supports interdisciplinary engineering and computer science. The building itself was intentionally designed as a teaching tool, with select pieces of visible infrastructure, sustainability features and a phone-based app to provide more information. At the center of the building is the Huff Family Innovation Center, one of the Midwest’s largest makerspaces, at nearly 20,000-square-feet, that will provide opportunities for students and community members to share ideas, collaborate and build prototypes.

“This building is a big deal to the taxpayers of Wisconsin,” said UW-Platteville College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science Acting Dean Dr. Philip Parker. “Our state’s economy is increasingly a technology-based economy and can only be successful with a strong engineering workforce.”

In addition to Chancellor Evetovich and Parker, speakers at the event included Senator Marklein, Representative Tranel, Department of Administration Secretary-Designee Kathy Blumenfeld and environmental engineering student Dani Goomey. The event was emceed by Dr. Jessica Fick, assistant dean of the College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science.

UW-Platteville is a top Wisconsin engineering school, graduating the second largest number of engineering degrees in the state, with more than 500 every year. UW-Platteville offers seven ABET-accredited engineering programs. For more information about Sesquicentennial Hall, visit www.uwplatt.edu/sesquicentennial-hall.

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