ST. PAUL, Minn., Nov. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — On this National STEM day highlighting education in the science, technology, engineering and math fields, the University of St. Thomas is taking it one step further. It is planning to open a STEAM complex that will also include arts education.

President Julie Sullivan announced the university’s long-planned STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Math) complex will open in spring 2024 and be named in honor of Guy and Barbara Schoenecker. The Schoenecker family legacy and impact already permeates across campus, from libraries and athletics facilities to one of the university’s largest endowed scholarship programs.

“What research is telling us, what our industry partners are telling us, is that they need graduates who have broad knowledge, who are flexible thinkers, and who are used to working with different fields and different ideas,” Sullivan told donors at the annual Archbishop John Ireland Dinner. “That’s exactly what you will see when you step through the doors of the Schoenecker Center.”

Sullivan also announced the Schoenecker Center’s official groundbreaking will be May 2022 in St. Paul. The center, which will better prepare students for careers by eliminating silos between traditionally separate academic departments.

“The integration of the arts and STEM education will be a game–changer by infusing a new level of creativity and a deep sense of the aesthetic in all that we do,” said Lisa Anderson of the Schoeneckers Foundation, and daughter of the late Guy Schoenecker.

“The Schoenecker family legacy is inspiring,” Sullivan said. “The family’s philanthropy has been a blessing and a gift to St. Thomas, our campus, our students, and the many communities we impact.”

With over 130,000 square feet, the Schoenecker Center will help St. Thomas meet the rapidly evolving needs of the community and employers by enabling collaborative, interdisciplinary education that incorporates diverse viewpoints into students’ work. The five-level building will house three academic areas (Arts, Engineering and Sciences) and everything from engineering high bays and science labs to musical performance spaces and art galleries. It will also include St. Thomas’ Centers for Artificial Intelligence, Data Science and Water Justice, an emerging media newsroom, and robotics labs.

“The Schoenecker Center is truly new and innovative. It is where higher education is going – where it needs to go – and we are so excited to be on the leading edge,” Sullivan said.

The center will also redefine the university’s look along Summit Avenue, where it will adjoin the O’Shaughnessy Science Hall, home to several engineering, math, and science departments. Designed with input from various corporate industry partners, the center will foster more collaboration among students who otherwise may not have worked together in a typical university setting. It will also provide learning, meeting and performance spaces for local K-12 schools and community organizations.

CONTACT:
Vineeta Sawkar
Vineeta.sawkar@stthomas.edu  

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SOURCE University of St. Thomas