ADA — Ground was ceremoniously broken at Ohio Northern University Friday for a new $30 million engineering building that has been 10 years in the planning, “and has been a dream for even longer than that,” according to ONU President Daniel DiBiasio.
Construction of a 105,000-square-foot building will begin next spring and the first classes will be held in the new facility in the fall of 2019. The new engineering building, which will be nearly twice the size of the current Biggs Engineering Building, is being financed through private donations and a low-interest loan from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development program.
ONU Vice President for Advancement Shannon Spencer said $13 million in private donations has been received to date as the capital campaign approaches its $15-million goal. She reminded alumni, faculty and friends in attendance at Friday’s ceremony that donations are still being accepted.
“And naming rights are still available” for the new building, Spencer said to laughs from the crowd.
DiBiasio said the need for additional classroom space for a growing engineering department became evident years ago and set in motion the planning process for the new building.
“Engineering is a growth field, and we’re busting at the seams,” the ONU president said. “The Biggs (Engineering) Building was built to house about 380 students and is now serving close to 500. The new building will allow greater hands-on learning by students and will double the size of our current engineering facilities.”
The $67.2 million USDA loan secured by Ohio Northern to help finance the expansion of the engineering school will also lead to the creation of an additional department, DiBiasio said, although he admitted that university officials have yet to decide exactly what that department will be.
Oscar Mifsud, chairman of the university’s board of trustees, said the facility that will serve as the future home of the Smull College of Engineering is the result of “incredible teamwork and partnerships.” He said the project began “as a small idea with a small price tag” but joked that both the concept and the price grew over the ensuing decade.
“But on behalf of the board, we congratulate everyone here today for a job well done.”
Ohio Northern’s T.J. Smull College of Engineering is ranked 29th nationally among engineering programs that offer a bachelor’s or master’s degree in the 2018 U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Colleges” ranking.
John-David Yoder, dean of the Smull College of Engineering, said the new facility will allow even more space for students to work on collaborative projects and in expanded laboratory areas.
“I’m just so excited to see this,” said Yoder.
During the ceremonies, an aide to Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, presented ONU officials with a proclamation “to honor the future of the students who will benefit from this new facility.”
A representative Ohio Congressman Bob Latta, R-5th, presented DiBiasio with a flag that had flown atop the U.S. Capitol building.
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The Lima News Ohio Northern University President Daniel DiBiasio talks about the new $30 million addition to the ONU campus.
