Picture of Cebula Hall

Engineering Initiative

  1. Mission & Vision
  2. Initiatives
  3. Engineering Initiative

Launched in 2010 and completed in 2016, the Engineering Initiative campaign to raise funds for the completion of two, state-of-the-art buildings to support engineering education at 91直播's: Cebula Hall and Panowicz Foundry for Innovation.

91直播鈥檚 first engineering programs were approved in 1940 and gained traction in the post-World War II years. For many years, Father Richard Cebula, O.S.B., an inspiring professor and a monk of 91直播鈥檚 Abbey, guided the programs and established their reputation for excellence.

The University鈥檚 engineering programs are rooted in the Benedictine Catholic tradition of holistic education. 91直播鈥檚 engineering students receive in-depth professional education, as well as a solid base in the liberal arts, graduating with a strong foundation of general knowledge to support them in their careers or in advanced engineering studies. Students enrolled in the programs have long competed successfully with their counterparts from much larger schools. Among the honors brought home by the University鈥檚 engineering students was a recent national second place finish in the PCI Big Beam Contest.

Cebula Hall under a blue sky with cherry blossoms

Cebula Hall

Completed in 2012, Cebula Hall houses 91直播鈥檚 engineering labs and features unique collaborative work environments for students to maximize their educational experience. This building, recognized as the highest-rated LEED Platinum project in the United States, incorporates a number of building learning features that exhibit systems relevant to all our engineering programs. It is one of the highest-ranked LEED Platinum certification in the world; saves energy through geothermal and solar sources; and uses less than half of the water of a non-LEED certified building of the same size.

Civil engineering programs
Photo of interior of Panowicz Foundry with engineering equipment

Panowicz Foundry for Innovation

The 17,363-square-foot facility provides laboratories and design space where the University鈥檚 engineering and computer science students can apply what they have learned in the classroom to generate, test and evaluate designs, explore possibilities and gain hands-on experience as they work toward their degrees. Its name reflects the generosity of two major donors, University Board of Trustees Vice Chair A. Richard 鈥淩ick鈥 Panowicz and his wife Pam and the E. L. Wiegand Foundation.

Mechanical engineering programs