R.B. Annis Hall will foster opportunities for collaboration throughout the industry
The University of Indianapolis held a dedication ceremony Wednesday, March 24, 2021, to commemorate the state-of-the-art R.B. Annis Hall as the new home of the R.B. Annis School of Engineering. Located at 3750 South Shelby Street, R.B. Annis Hall will accommodate the University’s rapidly growing engineering program and allow the school’s DesignSpine component to expand beyond its original footprint and meet growing demand.
The R.B. Annis School of Engineering was established in 2017 through a transformative $5 million grant from the R.B. Annis Educational Foundation. Since its founding, the Annis School has set a regional standard as an innovative engineering school offering seven specialized areas of study in computer engineering, electrical engineering, software engineering, mechanical engineering, industrial & systems engineering, computer science, and general engineering. The R.B. Annis Hall expansion is the culmination of the University’s $25 million investment in its engineering programs.
Tour video and B-roll available here.
“With the expansion of the R.B. Annis School of Engineering, the University of Indianapolis is further strengthening its impact on economic growth across the state, both as a net importer of talent to Indiana and as an institution that is creating engineers who can produce solutions to the most critical engineering questions of our time,” said University of Indianapolis President Robert L. Manuel.
With 19 full-time faculty and directors and an average class size of ten students, the Annis School offers students real-world industry experience through internships and collaborative projects with internal and external clients, as well as mentoring and soft skills development. The inaugural Class of 2020 had a job placement rate of 92% and an average starting salary of $65,000. The University has provided $1.6 million in engineering scholarships in the 2020-21 academic year alone.
Ken Reid, associate dean and director of the R.B. Annis School of Engineering, said in addition to providing the necessary space for programs, R.B. Annis Hall will support the school as it builds industry relationships in the community.
“We will be more visible to our engineering partners, which will lead to more projects and partnerships for our DesignSpine program. This means more real-world, hands-on experience for our students,” Reid said.
The larger space translates to more opportunities for creative and innovative designs from the Annis School’s student teams. Reid said students will have a greater opportunity to establish exceptional working relationships in larger maker spaces, shops and labs. Faculty will have the opportunity to more effectively work with and mentor teams, as well as to collaborate with each other and partners beyond campus.
Reid expects R.B. Annis Hall will pave the way for more innovative interdisciplinary projects which have been a hallmark of the Annis School. The recently launched Center for Collaborative Innovation, funded through an Elevate Nexus Higher Education Grant, will further promote the collaborative innovation framework.
“In addition to providing our students with innovative, cutting-edge experiences, these developments ensure that UIndy continues to meet current and long-term accreditation requirements. They also play a vital role in helping us to accommodate the increasing enrollments in our programs,” said President Robert L. Manuel.
Learn more: uindy.edu.
