STEM Complex
The STEM Complex is a commitment to the State of North Dakota and industry.
UND is answering an urgent call for a modern STEM Complex that will enable students, researchers and faculty to thrive.This cutting-edge facility will nurture and develop a strong pipeline of students pursuing degrees and careers in STEM.
The two-phase project broke will:
- Serve as a new home base for STEM students.
- Prepare students to enter the workforce in the state of North Dakota and beyond.
- Facilitate and foster corporate engagement.
- Integrate engineering, mathematics, and the physical sciences in one facility.
- Enhance lab spaces with modern equipment to create a state-of-the-art learning environment.
The STEM Complex is critical to meeting North Dakota's future technology and workforce needs.Steve Burian, '90, '92President & CEO, Burian & Associates, LLC
Vice Chairman, CEM Executive Board Civil Engineering
About the STEM Complex
At the University of North Dakota, we drive the future of science, industry, and innovation. The UND STEM Complex will carry the state of North Dakota into the 22nd century.
This state-of-the-art facility will benefit students, offering advising, tutoring,
and other student success spaces. Phase I of this two-phase project also features
spaces for lectures, projects, events, eSports
tournaments, student innovation lab, and a makerspace for competitive building and
robotics teams. Collaboration in this STEM ecosystem will be at a premium, promoting
interdisciplinary work between the Departments of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering,
Forensic Science and Mechanical Engineering, which will invite corporate partnerships.
UND has completed fundraising for Phase I and will be starting construction on this
phase in April 2026. Completion of Phase I will be during the summer of 2028 and will
be open for classes in Fall 2028.
Phase II construction will feature additional space for Mechanical Engineering and bring Civil Engineering, Mathematics, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering and Physics to the STEM Complex. UND is actively fundraising for this phase of the project.
estimated number of students that will use the STEM Complex
$ total project cost
total square footage (Phase I and Phase II)
$ appropriated by ND Legislature in 2023 for Phase I
$ private support
appropriated by N.D. Legislature in 2025 for Phase II
Making an Impact on our Students
Breaking down the artificial barriers between science and engineering on campus is a goal of the UND STEM Complex. The three-story Complex will impact over 40% of UND's student body by supporting:
- Advising and tutoring
- Common and lounge spaces
- Classrooms and lecture halls
- Team science and applied engineering
- National security
- Aerospace
- Energy security
- Interdisciplinary collaboration
- Experiential learning
- Innovation lab
- Makerspace
- Event space
- Modern learning
- State-of-the-art technologies
- Faculty recruitment and retention
- Industry engagement and partnership
The STEM Complex will provide a state-of-the-art center for multidisciplinary learning and direct partnership to develop the next generation of STEM leaders for North Dakota and beyond.Stacie (Froelich) Bell, '91, Ph.D.Lupus Therapeutics
UND College of Arts & Sciences Advisory Board, Chemistry
An Interdisciplinary Ecosystem
The UND College of Engineering & Mines and the UND College of Arts & Sciences have a rich history of collaboration. This science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) partnership began with the establishment of the School of Mines in 1897. These colleges have earned their reputation as leaders in STEM education and research and are poised to shape the future of engineering and science in North Dakota and beyond.
In the early years, Babcock Hall housed the engineering and chemistry departments. Over time, collaborative efforts expanded with physics and mathematics providing foundational knowledge to engineering students in Science Hall. “Old Science,” as it would affectionately be known, served the mining, physics, and chemistry departments, further facilitating multifaceted interactions and mutual support.
Renovations to facilities in Witmer, O’Kelly and Upson II in 2019 further emphasized collaboration by creating modern, collaborative learning spaces. The pinnacle of collaboration lies ahead in the planned STEM Complex, starting with Phase I of this two-phase project. This state-of-the-art facility will provide an even greater opportunity for synergy among the sciences, engineering, and mathematics, fostering innovation and pushing the boundaries of research and education.
We have established areas of research excellence in transportation, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and advanced materials and can effectively provide North Dakota’s rapidly emerging high-tech industry with necessary research and development support. As the university continues to evolve, the relationship between the UND College of Engineering & Mines (CEM) and the College of Arts & Sciences (A&S) will enhance the educational experience for students and drive groundbreaking research.
Empower Tomorrow's Leaders
To continue to grow the leaders of tomorrow, we are embarking on a $163 million campaign to build a new STEM Complex at the University of North Dakota.
Hailing from Nigeria, Oluchukwu Sunday came to UND to study Energy Engineering for its comprehensive study of all energy systems without specializing in just one area.
"Learning in a state-of-the-art facility is incredibly important for an engineering student. It prepares us for the future, empowers us to contribute innovatively to the present while respecting the labor of the past. The hands-on experience with the latest software prepared me for the realities of the engineering field."
The goal of this facility is to prepare the STEM workforce in North Dakota’s most collaborative, state-of-the-art STEM facility while providing the best educational experience for our students. We want to meet the critical program needs for corporate and industry partners to maintain strong pipelines for our students to leave the University of North Dakota prepared to impact the workforce. The 179,000-square-foot UND STEM Complex will be a beacon for inspiration, discovery and innovation for the next generations of UND students and faculty.
Support Innovation & Growth at UND
Your gift, like many of our buildings on campus, will stand the test of time as we erect new structures to create futures and memories at UND for the next generation of students. Transformational gifts to this project will drive the future of North Dakota, propelling the University and the state to greater heights in this state-of-the-art STEM Complex.
A Spark for the Future
Contact
- bradley.rundquist@UND.edu
- 701.777.2749
- ryan.s.adams@UND.edu
- 701.777.5644
- robint@UNDfoundation.org
- 701.777.1428
- lainel@UNDfoundation.org
- 701.777.6627
- mitchw@UNDfoundation.org
- 701.777.3678