The university is upgrading the Nathan W. Dougherty Engineering Building to improve safety and provide a series of modern instructional and research laboratories. The building will remain open while the work continues.
An upgrade of the fire alarms, sprinklers, and electrical systems is expected to be complete by the end of 2014, finishing the current safety-related renovations for the building.
Laboratories are being improved in various locations in Dougherty. A National Science Foundation–funded project is providing a series of energy-related research laboratories on the mezzanine and second floors that should finish by late August. Over the next two years, the entire sixth floor will be converted to a set of materials-related instructional laboratories and four research laboratories.
By the end of 2014, a chemical engineering Unit Operations Laboratory funded by Eastman Chemical is expected to open on the first floor. This will be a cornerstone of undergraduate instruction in the department.