CIEMAS Opens

Science nexus: new center, above left, faces engineering school's Hudson Hall. Photo: Chris Hildreth

The long-awaited, highly touted Center for Interdisciplinary Engineering, Medicine, and Applied Sciences (CIEMAS) opened August 16, on time and on budget. The sprawling center, which faces Hudson Hall across the new Engineering Quadrangle, comprises four buildings, totaling 322,000 square feet.

CIEMAS cost $97 million to build and more than doubles the Pratt School of Engineering's teaching and research space. Construction began in May 2002. A formal dedication ceremony is scheduled for November 19.

"It's a major addition to our school, not only for the wonderful new space it provides, but also for its capability to bring together scientists and teachers from across scientific disciplines for the benefit of all," says Pratt dean Kristina M. Johnson.

CIEMAS supports teaching and research efforts in bioengineering; photonics and communications systems; integrated sensors and simulators; and materials sciences and materials engineering. It also expands Pratt's partnership with the medical school, providing laboratories for collaborative research in health care, genomics, and biotechnology.

By next year, CIEMAS will have a nanofabrication facility to support Pratt's collaborations with Trinity College of Arts & Sciences. CIEMAS also supports a professional master's degree program in engineering management and entrepreneurship in collaboration with the law school and the Fuqua School of Business.