UW System President Ray Cross and UW-Green Bay Chancellor Gary L. Miller join to discuss critical capital needs
Green Bay, Wis. — University of Wisconsin President Ray Cross, UW-Green Bay Chancellor Gary L. Miller and Dean of UW-Green Bay’s College of Science, Engineering and Technology, John Katers, are urging public support for capital improvements of instructional spaces across the UW System, including an Electrical Engineering Technology Laboratory renovation at UW-Green Bay. Cross spent time touring spaces, and speaking with the media on Monday, June 10, 2019.
UW-Green Bay’s fast-growing Electrical Engineering Technology program has required use of retrofitted space to meet basic program needs since 2017. The proposed project entails the renovation of 6,300 square feet on the first floor of the campus’ Instructional Services building. The space requires extensive improvement to all of the mechanical and electrical systems and complete architectural renovations that meet instructional space needs for future engineering laboratories.
According to Katers, regional industry members have serious concerns about the lack of a future engineering workforce in Northeast Wisconsin.
“The UW-Green Bay Electrical Engineering Technology Program plays a significant role in producing the high-quality local engineering talent that industry needs to remain in business and competitive. Our program, however, cannot fully meet these demands without a laboratory space that can house the instructional equipment necessary to teach the curriculum that industry members and accreditation organizations require.”
The University of Wisconsin System is seeking $38 million in capital funding to modernize university classrooms to assist learning in high-growth STEM and other fields, including funding for the electrical engineering technology lab at UW-Green Bay. The classroom upgrades are part of a $1.9 billion capital budget request to repair, renovate and replace outdated facilities at campuses across the UW System.
“The goal of this project is to respond to the region’s engineering workforce needs while providing UW-Green Bay students with a safe, functional and technologically-advanced Electrical Engineering Technology Laboratory and Physics Laboratory for coursework and research,” said UW-Green Bay Chancellor Gary L. Miller.
UW-Green Bay’s Engineering Technology programs serve as a critical access point for the region’s large population of first-generation college students to enter into engineering degree programs and career pathways.
“Students and employers expect modern learning environments,” said UW System President Ray Cross. “Over 60% of the UW’s physical infrastructure is between 45 and 70 years old. Our capital budget provides real solutions to workforce challenges by renovating classrooms to best prepare students for success.”
Companies in need of engineering talent across Northeast Wisconsin have voiced their support for improved teaching space at the Green Bay campus. “A new lab space would really give the students the ability to learn the equipment before they come on-site and then they can really hit the ground running and make a big impact and create value to the company here at Georgia Pacific,” shared Steve Monroe, electrical engineering manager, Green Bay Operations, Georgia Pacific.
UW-Green Bay’s Electrical Engineering Technology baccalaureate program begins its fifth year this fall. Enrollment began in 2015 with just 11 students, and has grown to nearly 50 majors as of Fall 2018. The UW-Green Bay Electrical Engineering Technology program is the only Electrical Engineering Technology program offered by a UW System comprehensive outside of UW-Oshkosh.
About the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay is a comprehensive public institution offering undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs to nearly 8,000 students with campus locations in Green Bay, Marinette, Manitowoc and Sheboygan. Established in 1965 on the border of Green Bay, the University and its campuses are centers of cultural enrichment, innovation and learning. The Green Bay campus is home to one of the Midwest’s most prolific performing arts centers, a nationally recognized 4,000-seat student recreation center, D-I athletics, an award-winning nine-hole golf course and a five-mile recreational trail and arboretum, which is free and open to the public. This four-campus University transforms lives and communities through student-focused teaching and research, innovative learning opportunities, powerful connections and a problem-solving approach to education. UW-Green Bay’s main campus is centrally located, close to both the Door County resort area and the dynamic economies of Northeast Wisconsin, the Fox Valley region and the I-43 corridor. UW-Green Bay offers in-demand programs in science, engineering and technology; business; health, education and social welfare; and arts, humanities and social sciences. For more information, visit www.uwgb.edu.
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