STEM TRAIL Center gears up for move to Roskens
The new space will bring the Center's collaborative efforts closer to the academic colleges they serve.
As the STEM TRAIL Center prepares to move into their new space, renovations on the lower level of Roskens Hall on UNO's Dodge campus are on-target for a May 2024 completion.
The STEM TRAIL Center is currently housed in the Thompson Alumni Center, and Dr. Chris Moore, director, says the new space will bring the Center's collaborative efforts closer to the academic colleges they serve.
"I'm grateful to the folks at McCarthy Construction, Holland Basham Architects, the UNO facilities team, and the 65 faculty and staff that worked together to produce the UNO STEM Strategic Plan," Moore said. "Their vision for the future of STEM education on our campus is what we're creating today with this new space."
Formerly occupied by lecture halls and a computer lab, the 8,400-square foot lower level will include three new innovative STEM classrooms designed for active learning, staff workspaces, several smaller flexible spaces, interview and focus-group rooms for discipline-based education research, and an event space that can accommodate over 120 attendees for public events and celebrations.
During the academic year the new space will also house model STEM courses, where faculty will apply evidence-based teaching practices in purpose-built classrooms for hundreds of UNO students. And in the summer months, the new facility will host up to 2,000 area youth who participate in Aim for the Stars camps, plus approximately 50 area middle and high school teachers for workshops.
"Our new home will provide the versatility the Center requires for our collaborative efforts in research, educational excellence, and community outreach," Moore said. "The design is a perfect reflection of the synergistic work we do to create innovations in STEM education."