Midway through the initiative to double the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science between 2012 and 2021, incremental space in the new Core Science Facility will mean additional space for laboratories, design studios and offices.

“The number of graduates from undergraduate programs is growing by five to seven per cent per year, from about 160 in 2012 to 250 in 2021,” said Dr. Greg Naterer, dean, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science. “Also, the number of graduate students will nearly double from about 360 in 2012 to 700 in 2021. The Core Science Facility will enable a significant portion of this growth with modern, world-class engineering facilities.”

Enhanced teaching and learning

Dr. Dennis Peters is the head of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), and outlined numerous benefits of the new facility for ECE students and professors.

“The move to the new Core Science Facility will definitely enhance the teaching and learning environment,” said Dr. Peters. “Our students and professors will benefit from an increase in teaching and research laboratory space, including a teaching computer laboratory designed to accommodate a variety of teaching styles, such as flipped classroom, pair and small group work. Our students will also benefit from new junior and senior design studios.”

Encouraging collaboration

Dr. Octavia Dobre is an associate professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Research Chair in Subsea Communications. She is quite excited that her department will move into the new state-of-the-art facility.

“Moving to the new Core Science Facility will further motivate and encourage excellence from our students, professors and staff,” she said. “The layout of the laboratories, classrooms and offices will stimulate more collaboration between faculty and industry partners in multi-disciplinary projects, as well as create more opportunities for interaction between research lab projects and teaching activities, with the involvement of both graduate and undergraduate students.”

Another electrical and computer engineering professor, Dr. John Quaicoe, believes the new building will encourage collaborative research activities among the various research areas within the department.

“The relocation of the electrical and computer engineering department to the new Core Science Facility will provide an opportunity for the department to have state-of-the-art laboratory facilities for teaching and research,” said Dr. Quaicoe. “It will also mean new space to facilitate innovative undergraduate teaching methodologies,” he said.

The provincial and federal governments have invested a joint $125-million in the development of the Core Science Facility. When complete, the building will include new research and laboratory teaching spaces, an adaptable shell space for university and industry collaborations, offices and meeting rooms and a series of open public spaces to encourage group discussion and academic partnership.