Prairie View A&M University Renovations Are Underway With The Latest $70M Engineering Building Investment

Several years ago, Prairie View A&M University officials announced that the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents approved plans to start construction on a $70 million Engineering Classroom and Research Building.

According to Prairie View A&M University, the school opened the new Engineering Classroom and Research Building on June 22, 2023. As the university celebrates its 75th year, ENCARB is the sixth building to be added to the Roy G. Perry College of Engineering complex.

ENCARB is located at the intersection of E. E. O’Banion Street and D. W. Martin Street and was designed by Stantec Architecture and built by Vaughn Construction.

“The building provides state-of-the-art technical spaces that support hands-on learning and research activities that are critical to the field of engineering,” said Pamela Obiomon ’93, Ph.D., dean of the Roy G. Perry College of Engineering, in a written statement. “It has spatial connections and openings to increase the connectivity of students and faculty, as well as create energy and opportunities for collaboration.”

According to the school, nearly two-thirds of the facility’s new space, approximately 106,000 square feet, is dedicated to classroom instruction, which includes six instructional classrooms and 14 specialized labs. The remaining areas of the facility consist of research lab space for faculty and graduate students.

“Although the College of Engineering had a reputation of producing excellent engineers because of a good curriculum and great faculty, having a building like this [when I was a student] would have given students access to the latest in technology and high-quality resources resulting in a better-quality education,” Obiomon said. “The study spaces with modern furniture, inspiring collaborative learning spaces, and open lighting adds a component to a student’s successful experience beyond grades and inspires them to achieve their best performance.”

The latest facility is Prairie View A&M University’s first new one in almost 20 years. In that time, enrollment has nearly doubled; now, the college is home to over 1,100 students and more than 100 faculty members, researchers, and staff.