Engineering is one of Ohio Northern University’s core programs and now it is getting an upgrade. A new 30 million dollar, 105,000 square foot facility started construction in beginning in the spring of 2018. The spacious James Lehr Kennedy Engineering Building holds classrooms, work areas, collaboration areas, and even an artificial ice sculpture.
ONU College of Engineering Dean J.D. Yoder talked about how the new building is an upgrade compared to the previous engineering building.
“It gives us a lot more space and really lets us do the things the students want to do, which is to collaborate and work on more projects. It’s beautiful, it gives us a lot of natural light, which is one of the things the students were missing in the other building.”
The students are not the only ones getting to enjoy the new building. Faculty gets a better experience to teach students with a more hands-on approach.
Yoder stated, “We want to make sure the faculty get to interact with the students. That is kind of the heart of what we do, and build a relationship where the student can get help where they need help, and that has been the hallmark of what Ohio Northern has been for a long time.”
Students have noticed a difference between the old engineering building and the new building. Natural lighting and larger spaces are some of the student’s favorites.
Senior mechanical engineering student Kimmee Partridge said, “There is a lot more space, so we have the Innovation Center, which has a lot more space for the competition teams, and our capstone teams as well. We have the big Maker space as well. So it’s been really nice to have the extra space.”
The building began operation beginning this Fall Semester.
