By JORDAN NELSON
The Register-Herald
As West Virginia University Institute of Technology is set to open its doors with its official first day of classes Aug. 16, the new state-of-the-art Engineering Laboratory (ELAB) on campus is ready to welcome the first set of students to put the facility to use.
(Photo by Jordan Nelson)
Located on the corner of Grove and Minnesota avenues, the ELAB, al is the only newly built building on the campus, while other campus buildings have only been renovated.
Jen Wood Cunningham, Director of University Relations, said most buildings on campus have all received renovations for upcoming students who are enrolled in Tech’s first year of Beckley-only classes. But the ELAB building is brand new, and anything any engineering student will need will be accessible.
“It’s completely new, and we are looking forward to this set of students being the first to try it out,” Cunningham said. “It has a lot to offer.”
Although the ELAB will be the holding point for all Engineering offices, Cunningham said students will be able to access almost anything a typical engineer would need.
She said since the construction process has been completed, the ELAB’s state-of-the-art facilities include a manufacturing engineering lab, concrete lab, materials and soil lab, composites and wood lab and the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Baja Buggy Lab.
Cunningham said SAE builds a buggy every year for competition, so one section of the ELAB is specified for them, but all other areas of it will be used for lab situations going along with students’ course work.
“Students are really going to be blown away,” she said. “Those students that are making the transition from the old Montgomery campus to here are really going to be impressed with what they will now get to experience.”
Cunningham said although staff and students may be nervous to be in a new area, they will all figure it out together. “This whole transition is something new, but students are going to have access to a top-notch facility, and the ELAB is a big part of that.”
“This is going to be a learning curve, something new we are all trying out. But I believe that with the ambitious students set to start, the amazing staff we have, and the renovated and new buildings, we’re all going to figure this out, and begin something amazing.”
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