CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – More than two and a half years after breaking ground on the project, the University of Northern Iowa celebrated its newly renovated Applied Engineering Building with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday. A large crowd of industry partners and state leaders joined students, faculty and staff to commemorate the completion of the state-of-the-art facility designed to prepare students for Iowa’s high-demand engineering and technology careers.

Funded primarily by a $40 million investment from the State of Iowa, along with approximately $3 million in donor contributions, the Applied Engineering Building represents a bold step forward in providing affordable, hands-on construction management and engineering-focused programs. Fundraising efforts are ongoing to meet the university’s goal of securing more than $4 million in private support for the project.

“For 50 years, applied engineering at UNI has supplied well-qualified talent to Iowa businesses and changed young lives by giving them the skills that they need to thrive,” Gov. Kim Reynolds shared in a video message. “After this renovation, I cannot wait to see what great things the next 50 years hold.”

The expansion adds 40,000 square feet of space for brand-new laboratories and collaborative learning spaces, while an additional 60,000 square feet of existing space is completely renovated. The facility features cutting-edge technology, including one of the most advanced foundry laboratories in the world and an innovative open-concept ceiling, allowing students to see the inner workings of modern building systems. From their first year, UNI students will gain real-world experience in an environment built for applied learning.

“We aren’t here to celebrate a building,” said UNI President Mark Nook. “We’re here to celebrate what the building will do for countless generations of students here on campus and the way that it will serve faculty and staff members and what those students will do once they graduate and populate businesses and industries not only in the state of Iowa but really around the country. So today we celebrate a ribbon cutting, we celebrate a building, but in reality we are celebrating these young people and people like them that will move through this building.”

The Applied Engineering Building houses a variety of applied engineering programs, construction management and other degree options tailored to Iowa’s workforce needs, ensuring graduates are job-ready as soon as they graduate. UNI works closely with industry partners to align its curriculum with employer demands, making it a key contributor to Iowa’s growing engineering and technology sectors.

“We’re developing future industry leaders that will carry on the legacy of UNI and propel our industries forward,” said Jim Kiesey, vice president of Estes Construction, who is a 1998 construction management graduate and the chair of the Construction Management Advisory Board. “We’re providing these students a best-in-class education that rewards them with one of the highest job placement rates and salaries upon graduation of any program on campus.”

“I can’t overstate how proud I am to be here this morning participating in this monumental ribbon cutting ceremony and representing John Deere as a valued partner with UNI,” said Fabio Castro, vice president and factory manager at John Deere. “The seeds planted in this relationship over the last 50 years of partnership have already yielded a bountiful harvest. John Deere currently employs over 1,200 UNI alumni, including 24 students from last year’s class and over 90 part-time students.”

As Iowa’s most affordable four-year institution for engineering-related degrees, UNI continues to be a leader in workforce development. This renovation marks a significant milestone in the university’s commitment to preparing students for successful careers in high-need fields.

For more information on construction management and applied engineering at UNI, visit aetm.uni.edu.

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