April 28, 2005

Texas A&M University at Galveston

A new $14.8 million building designed to prepare the next generation of maritime systems and marine engineers has opened and will be dedicated at Texas A&M University at Galveston at 2 p.m. on Saturday.

The Texas A&M University System has allocated $2.5 million and Texas A&M University allocated $2 million for the project, supplementing the $10.03 million appropriated by the 77th Texas State Legislature toward construction of the engineering building at TAMUG’s Mitchell Campus on Pelican Island.  

The 58,000 square-foot facility is the first new construction on the campus since 1995.  It houses offices, classrooms, faculty research laboratories and special-purpose teaching facilities such as CAD drafting stations, a wave tank, welding, machine and electronics shops and small and large engine test cells.  It has been constructed adjacent to the existing 11,000 square-foot engineering building, home to the Texas Maritime Academy’s upgraded full mission ship simulator.  The building opened for classes officially during this spring 2005 semester.

“We can’t express enough appreciation to Representative Craig Eiland, former representative Patty Gray, and Senator Mike Jackson who worked hard in Austin to make this building a reality,” said TAMUG Interim Vice President and CEO Bill Hearn.  "As technology continues to drive the demand for engineers, we must, as responsible educators, be ready to make necessary changes in programs and facilities to match the demand."

Hearn said that the new building will more than triple the amount of classroom and lab space currently dedicated for engineering and will partially ease TAMUG’s space crunch. 

Representatives from the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents, the Texas A&M University System, Texas A&M University, and Texas state legislators are expected to attend the dedication.  Over 200 former students participating in the weekend Former Student Reunion on the Galveston campus also will be there.  

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