I3@USD-Fall 2025

Enhanced Spaces, Brighter Futures

Transforming the Footprint of USD Engineering

T he Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering is undergoing a period of unprecedented transformation, marked by concurrent renovations and new construction projects. These initiatives are expanding the school’s footprint and revitalizing key learning and collaboration spaces to provide students with access to cutting-edge facilities. Looking ahead, the new STEM facility — funded by Darlene Marcos Shiley — will integrate engineering with the natural sciences. The building is being designed to revolutionize STEM programming by fostering By Michelle Sztupkay

cross-disciplinary projects, enabling new majors and minors and expanding the curriculum. In addition, significant upgrades are taking place throughout the Belanich Engineering Center (BEC), including renovations to four labs and a complete overhaul of Guadalupe Hall, thanks to generous donor support. The first renovated lab, BEC 315, functions as a lab and classroom and was completed in Fall 2024 with support from the Bill Hannon Foundation, Erin Fullwinder Alex and Tony and Siri Mitchell. Second-floor renovations of BEC 205 and BEC 206 took place over the

Summer 2025. BEC 205 is a dedicated electrical engineering lab, while BEC 206, the Chang Innovation Lab, serves as an innovation hub for entrepreneurship classes and capstone design projects. A key enhancement for the second-floor labs is the installation of windows, slated for Intersession 2026. The Chang Innovation Lab was made possible by major donations from the DHC and CLC Foundation and the J.D. Power family. Funding for BEC 205 came from an array of donors, with fund-matching from the school. Renovation of BEC 207 will commence once funding is secured. The final component of the initiative is the transformation of Guadalupe Hall, funded by John and Raffaella Belanich. The building will be reborn as an extension of the Belanich Engineering Center, providing expanded space for academic and administrative functions. Key features include the installation of an elevator, expansion of the Linux Lab and a new dean’s administrative suite. By inhabiting the entirety of Guadalupe Hall, the Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering will now be positioned to face the heart of the USD campus. Dean Chell Roberts, PhD, emphasizes that these upgrades are an “investment in the school's future, ensuring it remains a top ranked destination for high-quality engineering education.”

Engineering to inhabit the entirety of the Belanich Engineering Center and Guadalupe Hall.

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