Michigan Engineering – On Friday, April 8, 2011, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder joined university and other government officials to break ground for the new Center of Excellence in Nano Mechanical Science and Engineering. The 62,880-square-foot addition to the G.G. Brown Laboratories will enable researchers to study the forces at work at the smallest scales and to advance nanotechnologies in energy, manufacturing, healthcare and biotechnology. Currently, construction has started, and the project is anticipated to finish in the summer of 2014
“We fully expect that many of the next-generation landmark achievements in mechanical engineering will be pioneered in this remarkable facility,” said David Munson, the Robert J. Vlasic Dean of Engineering.
The Center of Excellence in Nano Mechanical Science and Engineering is a $46-million facility made possible in part by a $9.5 million grant from the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
The three-story complex will include 60 lab modules and space for 18 professors on the university’s North Campus.
University President Mary Sue Coleman said the facility will be another economic boon for the region.
“Our region acts as a magnet for new business and industry, thanks in part to great engineers. When companies like General Electric and Spain’s Aernnova looked to grow their businesses, they located here, because of the depth of engineering expertise that comes with a major research university,” Coleman said.
“This is an important milestone for Mechanical Engineering,” said Kon-Well Wang, Department Chair and Stephen P. Timoshenko Collegiate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, “the new building will be a world class research facility that will enable us to continue to be a powerful force, actively defining and shaping the future of mechanical engineering.”
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The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by the U-M Mechanical Engineering Department) from materials provided by the Michigan College of Engineering. Read the original story at Michigan Engineering.
