Utah Valley University (UVU) proudly unveiled one of the largest engineering buildings within the state throughout a grand opening ceremony for the Scott M. Smith Engineering Building, held Thursday, January 22, 2026. The practically 200,000-square-foot facility marks a significant milestone for the college and tremendously expands UVU’s capability for innovation, hands-on studying, and utilized scientific analysis.
As the brand new residence for the Smith College of Engineering and Technology (SCET), the Smith Engineering Building will assist meet the rising demand for engineering abilities, which is anticipated to extend by about 13% by 2031, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics information.
“We are grateful for Scott and Karen Smith’s vision and generosity,” mentioned UVU President Astrid S. Tuminez. “This building opens the door to hands-on learning with state-of-the-art simulations, advanced research equipment, and transformative lab experiences. It will redefine engineering education at UVU and will draw more students to our campus. This facility will incubate human talent and strengthen Utah’s workforce and innovative economy now and in the future.”
Made doable partially by a $25 million philanthropic present from Qualtrics co-founder Scott M. Smith and his spouse, Karen Smith, the ability is now residence to the largest tutorial school at UVU. During the 2025 fall semester, SCET enrolled 6,558 college students, which represents 21.5% of the college’s on-campus inhabitants.
“It has been a dream for Karen and me to be able to give back in a way that would positively impact people’s lives and help boost the local and state economies,” Scott M. Smith mentioned. “We feel like we are investing in the future of generations of new engineers and computer scientists, and wanted to do it in Utah County. Karen and I grew up here. Our children were raised here, and we started Qualtrics in our home in Provo. Utah County and Utah Valley University hold special places in our hearts.”
This revolutionary facility displays UVU’s dedication to assembly pupil demand and rising workforce wants in engineering, pc science, and technology-driven fields. Utah’s state faculties and universities collectively produce greater than 3,000 engineers and pc scientists yearly, however there stay roughly 4,000 unfulfilled positions within the statewide economic system. In 2022, 81% of UVU engineering alumni reported being employed full time.
An evaluation by the Boston Consulting Group revealed that one in each three engineering roles is unfilled, estimating that the United States will want about 400,000 new engineers yearly.
The Smith Engineering Building options a number of cutting-edge tutorial and analysis labs designed to help experiential studying and undergraduate analysis, together with:
- Wind Tunnel Lab: This lab will likely be used for aerodynamics testing and circulation visualization, together with fluid mechanics, thermal/fluid experimentation, mechanical engineering elective programs, pupil tasks, and undergraduate analysis tasks.
- Smart Grid Lab: Connected to an E-5 wind turbine, this lab is devoted to the examine of electrical automobiles, power programs, and battery technology.
- Electrical and Computer Engineering Drone Lab: This specialised, multi-floor lab will likely be used for machine studying, embedded programs, autonomous programs, capstones, senior tasks, and utilized analysis actions. It will embody a drone web, cameras, working stations, small and mid-size drones, and drone tools.
In addition, the constructing’s new school rooms, collaborative workspaces, and well-equipped labs will assist put together college students for real-world alternatives.
The Smith Engineering Building will help some of UVU’s largest and fastest-growing tutorial applications. The high six applications housed within the constructing are mechanical engineering, civil engineering, electrical and pc engineering, software program engineering, pc science, and digital cinema manufacturing.
For extra details about SCET, please go to https://www.uvu.edu/cet/.