Lt. Governor, County Executive, USM Chancellor, State Legislators Celebrate USG’s 4th Academic Building
Yesterday, the Universities at Shady Grove (USG) broke ground on its Biomedical Sciences and Engineering Education Facility (BSE). Lieutenant Governor Boyd Rutherford, Maryland State Senator Nancy King, Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett and University System of Maryland Chancellor Robert Caret all came together to applaud USG and the county and state’s commitment to higher education.
Governor Larry Hogan, who had planned to attend the event but was called away at the last minute due to the death of a close friend, released the following statement: “Our administration is proud to have worked closely with our partners in the University System and the General Assembly to bring this new Biomedical Sciences and Engineering Education Facility to fruition. With this ground breaking today, Universities at Shady Grove is setting a new standard in high-quality higher education that directly meets Maryland’s unique workforce development needs.”
According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Maryland leads the country in academic research and development and has the third highest concentration of high-tech businesses in the nation. However, the growth of highly skilled jobs in Montgomery County continues to outpace available candidates in the region. There is a projected demand for nearly 117,000 new workers by 2017 to fill new or vacated positions in Montgomery County, and an expected shortage of qualified workers to fill the region’s wide range of occupations.
“We are breaking new ground on a building that will allow USG to nearly double the number of students it serves – from 4,000 students today to 7,500 when the building opens its doors in 2019,” said USG Executive Director Dr. Stewart Edelstein. “This means providing even more businesses in Montgomery County and the surrounding region with a talent pool of qualified graduates in cutting edge, high-demand science, technology, engineering, math and medical sciences positions.”
When the building opens in 2019, Maryland’s premier research universities, including University of Maryland, Baltimore, University of Maryland, College Park and UMBC will offer undergraduate and graduate degree opportunities in critical and rapidly growing industries, including healthcare, biosciences, engineering and computational sciences. The new facility, designed by the nationally renowned architectural firm Cooper Carry and its partner Lake/Flato, will be one of the most sustainably sourced and built laboratory buildings in the country. It will include teaching laboratories, collaborative learning spaces, clinical training facilities, academic offices and expanded student services.
Earlier this year, the General Assembly and Governor Hogan provided $36.7 million in funding for construction of the Biomedical Sciences and Engineering Education facility. The actions of the Governor’s office, the University System, the Montgomery County General Assembly delegation and the Montgomery County government took in support of USG underscore the significance of USG’s approach to provide pathways to degrees and careers that support the economic and workforce development of the Montgomery County region and state.
More than 200 academic, business and community leaders along with 100 students celebrated the momentous occasion on USG’s campus. Other notable guests and groundbreaking participants included Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot; Chair of the University System of Maryland Board of Regents James Brady; USG Board Chair, CEO & Co-Founder of SkillSmart Michael Knapp; and representatives of University of Maryland, College Park; UMBC; and University of Maryland, Baltimore.
To learn more about USG’s Biomedical Sciences and Engineering Education Facility, please visit www.shadygrove.umd.edu/bse.
Click here to view a social media recap of the event.
Click here to view additional photos from the event.