Chippewa Valley Times

Two large engineering labs and one of the busiest building corridors at UW-Stout have been renovated as part of a $7.4 million project, with students returning to campus this fall.

Phase one of the two-year renovation was completed over the summer in Jarvis Hall Technology Wing. The Engineering Technology Research and Development Lab and Plastics Engineering Lab were completely revamped, along with the hallway between them.

The corridor serves as a main thoroughfare for students, faculty, staff, and visitors traveling between Jarvis Tech, Jarvis Science, Micheels, and Applied Arts academic buildings. New windows and overhead doors with windows now offer passers-by a view of the hands-on learning occurring inside.

“The spaces better highlight what it is to be a polytechnic. They showcase the applied learning that is happening, and passers-by can see our students in action,” said Glendalí Rodríguez, provost and vice chancellor for Academic Affairs.

Phase two will take place in summer 2025. Adjacent to the current labs, the Construction Lab for construction management majors and an interdisciplinary Research and Development Prototyping Lab will be renovated.

Phase one covered 17,000 square feet; phase two will encompass nearly 24,000 square feet. In total, the project spans 40,915 square feet, including 30,103 square feet of lab space.

As Wisconsin’s Polytechnic University, UW-Stout emphasizes applied learning with three times more labs than classrooms. In some majors like mechanical and plastics engineering programs within UW-Stout’s Robert F. Cervenka School of Engineering, classroom and lab spaces are adjacent to facilitate seamless integration of lectures and hands-on applications.

According to UW-Stout’s 2024 First Destination Report from Career Services, recent graduates from four undergraduate engineering majors reported 100% employment within six months of graduation with an average starting salary exceeding $70,000.

Previously enclosed classrooms within the Integrated Technology Lab have been transformed into open spaces adjacent to lab equipment for daily use by students. Additionally, a wall was removed in the plastics lab to create a larger open area.

Jarvis Technology Wing was originally built in 1969; this marks its first major renovation since then. The new design aligns with that of Jarvis Hall Science Wing which opened in 2009.

Industrial equipment had to be moved out during renovations but has been reinstated for fall semester use. Upgrades included new flooring (replacing asbestos-containing parquet), dust collection systems, exhaust systems, energy-saving LED lights, paintwork as well as air conditioning for both labs—now equipped with their own water system—and updated infrastructure including restrooms and mechanical rooms.

“It’s a win-win for facilities and departments," said John Buss from the engineering department. "It’s great to have fresh labs.”

The overhead doors aim to ease future additions of new equipment while facilitating collaboration among students and professors according to Rodríguez.

R.J. Jurowski of Whitehall served as general contractor with Bill Jurowski—a UW-Stout alum—as project manager employing around 20-25 people on-site managed by Ethan Wiersgalla.