Funded through a 2021 state-approved bond, the three-story, 75,000-square-foot building also supports programs from in-demand Fort Bend County industries, which officials say contributes to UH’s commitment to serve students where they live and work.
"This is a great place to live, work and learn,” Jennifer Henrikson, education chair for the Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce, said at an Oct. 10 tour hosted by the Chamber. “And this campus proves that."
The specifics
The tour, led by Kim Williams, executive director of external relations and partnerships for UH, featured the building’s work and specialized lab space—including for digital electronics, power engineering and robotics—and active learning classrooms.
While some students are already using the active learning spaces, many of the labs are still in preparation for use, with Williams adding that future tours will display ongoing research taking place by spring at the instructional site.
The building also includes collaboration zones, media recording studios, graduate and faculty office areas and amenities such as a mother's room, a reflection space and a sky bridge connecting to the Academic Building 1, Williams said.
The mission
Jay Neal, associate vice president and chief operating officer of the University of Houston at Sugar Land, said the new building is designed to meet growing demand in fields such as engineering and nursing, while supporting students pursuing degrees in social work, education and business, reflecting the evolving needs of Fort Bend County’s workforce.
He said the goal is to better serve University of Houston students, particularly those from Fort Bend County, who make up 30% of Bauer College of Business students and nearly half of the university’s 11,000 engineering students, who attend classes at the instructional site.
"We’re not creating our own mission—we're contributing to the University of Houston’s mission: applied research, technology innovation, workforce pipelines and student success,” Neal said.
Managing the impact
The campus currently serves around 4,700 students, and UH President Renu Khator has set a goal to grow the campus to 10,000 students, Neal said during the presentation.
The university owns over 200 acres of land in the area, including property stretching from University Boulevard to the Brazos River, which Neal said gives the instructional site room to accommodate future growth.
Williams said the college is going step-by-step and will be seeking funds from the 2027 legislative session to fund other neighboring instructional buildings.
Among the needs, Neal noted the current facilities lack space for a student center to host events for campus leaders, faculty and campus partners.
Moving forward
Campus officials will host a ribbon-cutting for the new building Oct. 16, featuring Khator, Pradeep Sharma, dean of the UH Cullen College of Engineering, and Neal as speakers, officials confirmed.