Building upon the Kummer vision
One of the most tangible ways the gift from June and Fred Kummer is helping S&T prepare students for success is through funding major capital projects. These projects promise to make the university more attractive to future students, offer greater opportunities for students to develop an entrepreneurial mindset and foster collaboration among diverse academic disciplines, from manufacturing engineering to the arts.
In April, S&T broke ground for the 32,000-square‑foot Welcome Center, which is scheduled for completion in 2025. True to its name, the Welcome Center will serve as a first stop for visitors and as a showcase of what the university offers students.
The main goal for the Welcome Center is for future Miners to clearly see themselves as part of the S&T community mere moments after their arrival. The latest audiovisual presentations coupled with exhibits throughout the Welcome Center will offer an in-depth look at the richness of campus life, S&T’s exceptional programs and facilities, and the achievements of alumni.
The Welcome Center is also designed to host programs that introduce the university’s unique culture to new and prospective students.
A home for student innovation, creativity and discovery
Missouri S&T will open its Innovation Lab — the first new building of the Arrival District — during the fall 2023 semester. The 50,000-square-foot building sets the stage for even greater hands-on learning for S&T students, an important part of the vision behind the Kummer gift.
The Innovation Lab will feature active learning classrooms, labs designed to encourage and support cross-disciplinary work, the university’s Student Success Center, maker spaces, spaces for collaboration and group and individual study, and the Innovation Forum, a multipurpose space that can accommodate major speakers, performances, recruiting sessions, panel discussions and more.
In addition to providing a foundation for the experiential learning programs essential to the development of an entrepreneurial skillset, the Innovation Lab will be a space where like-minded students can connect and create. Both are vital to an entrepreneurial campus culture.
A hub for manufacturing R&D
Missouri S&T recently broke ground on the Missouri Protoplex®, an advanced manufacturing research and development facility that will anchor S&T’s planned manufacturing technology and innovation campus.
In addition to providing space for equipment, the Protoplex will serve as a hub for the network of companies S&T is building through partnerships with the Missouri Association of Manufacturers, the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, and community colleges and technical schools across the state. In addition to offering an opportunity for manufacturers to learn about new methods and technologies, the equipment housed in the Protoplex will enable S&T students to develop skills that will help them excel in the workforce.
To learn about the types of collaboration that will be supported by the Missouri Protoplex, read about the engineering analysis conducted for small manufacturer Masterclock.