The University of Washington’s Seattle campus is planning for a second Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) Building which will allow for major growth in these two programs. A multi-million-dollar donation and the expansion of the program will allow the number of degrees awarded each year to double in the fields of computer science and engineering.
This will be a significant opportunity for prospective students of these areas of study, since currently there are a number of qualified applicants who are turned away from these programs each year due to a lack of space.
The expansion plans include the construction of a 130,000-square foot facility, set to begin this January, and to be completed in 2019. The space will include additional classroom, laboratory, and collaborative spaces for the programs.
The $5 million donation comes from Zillow Group, and naturally follows from an existing partnership established in 2006 between Zillow and UW CSE. Their company’s donation will be acknowledged through a space named “Zillow Commons,” which will be a multi-use area open to students, faculty and community members.
Although the total for the construction project will near $100 million, accomplished mainly through private funding and donations, the Zillow Group wanted to give the first corporate donation to the project, because their company was started by UW CSE graduates.
In a larger view, an expansion of these two particular programs will benefit Seattle, and Washington state in the future, by creating a greater number of engineering graduates per year. This will support state-wide growth in the areas of engineering and computer science.
For more information, visit the University of Washington’s website.