TERRE HAUTE, Ind. — Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology recently opened a new engineering design and laboratory building named after alumnus Richard J. Kremer and his wife, Shirley, in recognition of their generous financial gift to the college.

The Richard J. and Shirley J. Kremer Innovation Center is a 13,800-square-foot building that will provide design space, laboratories and classrooms to enhance hands-on, collaborative educational experiences for students. It is located on the east side of campus adjacent to the Branam Innovation Center that has been operating at capacity each year with students working on competition entries and other projects.

The Kremers requested the amount of their gift not be disclosed.

“We’re grateful that Richard and Shirley support Rose-Hulman in providing the pathways of success for scientists, engineers and mathematicians,” said Rose-Hulman President Robert A. Coons. “The Kremer Innovation Center will give our students the skills, experiences and mindset to play a key role in developing future advances benefiting all areas of our lives. Richard and his career success are excellent examples of the core values of this institution at work; values which continue to consistently provide a rock-solid foundation for the current and future success of Rose-Hulman and our students.”

The Kremer Innovation Center, also known as “the KIC,” will be fully operational later in winter 2019 and features classrooms and a design studio for the new major in engineering design, as well as expanded laboratories, equipment and spaces for students to work on competition teams and design projects and create products in a maker space area.

Equipment for rapid prototyping, along with digital and traditional fabrication, a fluids laboratory, wind and water tunnels, and engine testing areas will become part of the new facility and Branam Innovation Center.

“The KIC is helping us separate larger, messier projects from smaller, ‘cleaner’ ones,” said Rose-Hulman Provost Anne Houtman. “I’m particularly excited that the co-location of classrooms and project space will support faculty in incorporating hands-on activities in their instruction.”

Founded in 1874, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology is dedicated to preparing its students with the world’s best undergraduate science, engineering and mathematics education in an environment infused with innovation, intellectual rigor and individualized attention. The institute is consistently recognized nationally as an elite STEM school for distinctions that include faculty excellence, return on investment, value added and career services.

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TERRE HAUTE, Ind. — Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology recently announced that it received a $15 million lead gift from an anonymous donor to support construction of a new academic building that will provide collaboration workspaces, design studios, flexible classrooms, chemistry laboratories and faculty innovation spaces.

The anonymous donation will fund over half of the $29 million building that is set to open for the 2021-22 school year.

A groundbreaking ceremony for the new building will be held during the college’s homecoming on Saturday, Oct. 6.

The building was designed by RATIO Architects, and its architecture will have a central atrium and lots of interior and exterior glass to let in light and showcase the work taking place within, making it a “window into Rose” concept that showcases curricular innovation, laboratory activities and collaboration of students, faculty and staff members.

“The design of this new academic building reflects our focus on active engagement in learning within a collaborative, mentoring environment,” said Rose-Hulman President Jim Conwell.

“We’re grateful to our lead donor for supporting our vision for science, engineering and math education, and excited about the opportunities that lie ahead as a result of this generous gift.”

Located in Terre Haute, Indiana, Rose-Hulman has an enrollment of approximately 2,200 undergraduate students and nearly 100 graduate students.

The 60,000-square-foot, three-story building will be located on the east side of campus, between Moench Hall and Myers Hall.

The first floor of the new building will host flexible and easily adaptable design spaces for student projects and design studios for the new engineering design academic program. Students and teams will be able to utilize breakout spaces throughout the floor to collaborate on projects. Students also will have access to a prototyping laboratory, laser-cutting devices, machine tools and a woodworking shop.

Six classrooms with flexible learning spaces will be featured on the second floor, along with three breakout rooms and booths for student workspaces. Innovation spaces will allow faculty to work on research projects with students.

New state-of-the-art chemistry laboratories will provide separate spaces for instruction and hands-on learning of general, organic, analytical and physical chemistry, and undergraduate chemistry and biochemistry research with faculty.

There will be dedicated space for preparing chemistry and biochemistry experiments before moving activities to a laboratory, and facilities for faculty and students to explore edible chemistry projects. An instrument laboratory and an area for nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy equipment will also be included.

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