Michigan Tech receives $5M grant for building upgrades

What's happening: Michigan Technological University will receive $5 million to help renovate the Chemical Sciences and Engineering building on campus, thanks to a grant from The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation. The project will upgrade one of the campus’s most recognizable buildings, enabling the university to add a health education and research center. A second matching grant of $2 million is also a potential option to renovate the building, according to university officials. 

More growth at MTU: Housing the chemical engineering and chemistry programs, the Chemical Sciences and Engineering building will see an upgrade focusing on rural health initiatives. Michigan Tech added nursing and other medically related majors in the last year and this expansion and renovation will allow the school to connect new endeavors with its history. MTU is one of four public universities in Michigan to experience an increase in enrollment this academic year -- so more students will need more places and equipment to learn. 

What they're saying: “The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation continues to see the potential in our students and is helping to advance Michigan Tech as a premier national university positioned to lead the nation in the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” said Rick Koubek, president of Michigan Technological University. “This investment in Michigan Tech signifies an important milestone in the modernization of facilities across campus.”

What's next: The expansion of the chemical sciences building will allow for increased opportunities and study programs within the discipline. It will also help develop learning opportunities with new equipment and techniques in chemical sciences.  “Michigan Tech students will have access to state-of-the-art equipment and technology that best prepares them for the workforce of the future,” Koubek said.