The Blake Ragsdale Van Leer Building Renewal
The School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) has played a crucial role in the Institute’s success. As Georgia Tech leads the way in defining the technological research university of the twenty-first century, ECE stands at the forefront. Quantitatively, the School is the largest producer of electrical and computer engineering graduates in the United States. Qualitatively, U.S. News & World Report ranks all of its programs among the top 10 in the nation. As the Institute takes the lead in addressing some of the most challenging issues of our time, ECE continues to grow and reach across boundaries, both in Georgia via Georgia Tech-Savannah, and around the world in such places as Lorraine, France, and Shanghai, China.
The Blake Ragsdale Van Leer Electrical Engineering Building was dedicated in 1962 and honors the legacy of Colonel Van Leer, Georgia Tech’s fifth president (1944-56) and the first engineer to head the Institute. In its current state, the Van Leer Building fails to reflect the stature of the ECE program and the reputation of the Institute. The building is long overdue for an update. Its classrooms pale in comparison to those in newer buildings, and the facility lacks adequate computer, electronic, and microelectronics labs. Faculty and students are currently scattered across nine buildings around campus.
To meet the needs of the School and to provide the quality spaces and state-of-the-art facilities that will keep ECE at the forefront in the field, the Van Leer Building must be improved and expanded. In order for ECE’s facilities to remain competitive with those of peer institutions and to meet the demands of dedicated faculty and students, a two-phase plan has been approved. The first phase will construct a new building adjacent to the existing Van Leer Building, facing south to Tech Green. This signature facility will include up to 200,000 square feet of laboratories, lecture halls, and faculty offices at an estimated cost of $45 million, primarily through private philanthropy. The second phase will follow the completion of the construction of the new facility, and is planned as a wholesale renovation of the existing Van Leer Building at an estimated cost of $35 million, primarily from state resources.
Through private support, alumni and friends can play a vital role in the expansion and renovation of the Van Leer Building. For more information on how to direct your gift in support of the Van Leer Building, contact Marci Reed, Director of Development.
