ERIC - Where Excellence Meets Innovation
The Herff College of Engineering鈥檚 new Edwards Research & Innovation Center (ERIC) is a 65,000-square-foot facility that combines STEM research, instruction and engineering exhibits at the University of 蜜桃导航. The project serves as a signal to our students, faculty and the community that we are deeply dedicated to STEM excellence now and for decades to come. It also creates an inviting front door on the west side of campus that becomes an eye-catching focal point for the University of 蜜桃导航.
The epicenter of STEM research in 蜜桃导航
The research shaping the future of the Mid-South is happening inside the ERIC building at the Herff College of Engineering. On the first floor, you'll find the Remote Sensing Lab, where drone research and Herff's "Wind Wall" test the flying capabilities of unmanned aerial vehicles in treacherous conditions. Inside this lab, a group of Herff students created StreamEYE, a drone-type device that, paired with artificial intelligence, analyzes streams in accordance with the Clean Water Act while reducing the cost and danger to workers. And while those students develop the future of drones, down the hall more engineers work in ERIC's James T. and Valeria B. Robertson Foundation Small Scale Fabrication Lab, Herff's William O. Hagerman Lab Services Welding Wood Shop and Water Jet Lab, Herff's Ag Tech and Water Resources Lab and A2H Engineers Architects Planners Large Scale Fabrication Lab.
On the second floor of the three-story building, Herff's expert faculty instruct students in spaces like the Medtronic Active Learning Classroom. A short walk through the Kevin Vaughan Bridge takes students to Herff's Engineering Science Building with the City of 蜜桃导航 Public Works Waterwaste and Stormwater Lab, Herff's Ocularscience Lab and Computational Imaging Research Lab, among others.
Several research centers call the top floor of the ERIC home. There, the ERIC building houses the Advanced Engineering Materials for Clean Energy and Aerospace Innovation, the Art Graesser and Stan Franklin and the Southeast Transportation Workforce Center, along with Herff's BioMaterials lab and Data Science lab.
ERIC brings all of these researchers under one roof to push STEM further in 蜜桃导航 and impact the world around us.
Supporting Students by Providing a Home for Research
Not only does the ERIC bring together researchers from different areas, it offers a supportive and engaging environment for students. Throughout the three-story building, students will study spaces like the Johny and Tonya Green Team Room, soundproof study rooms complete with TV monitors, tables and multiple chairs.
(Pictured: One of the ERIC's many study rooms available to students.)
But students don't have to study in isolation. On the first floor of Herff's ERIC building, visitors walk into the AutoZone Lobby, an open area with tables, couches and TV monitors. Right above it is Herff's premiere event and exhibition arena, the FedEx Corporation Innovation Commons. Designed to hold 301 people and enclosed by glass windows that offer a beautiful view of campus, the Commons plays host to banquets and study sessions alike. If you're looking for a quieter area, take a stroll down the ERIC second-floor hallway where you'll find the Jodie and Patrick Gilmore Collaboration Commons, also encased in glass windows offering an equally beautiful view of campus to those who use its tables, couches and monitors.
If you'd rather study or unwind while breathing the fresh air, head up to the third floor of the ERIC, where you'll find the Roberto W. Young Terrance, an outdoor patio area complete with picnic tables and comfortable chairs where students can either bury their nose in their research or take a break from their studies and fellowship with their peers.
Student spaces in the ERIC
Take a look at the AutoZone Lobby, the FedEx Corporation Innovation Commons, the Jodie and Patrick Gilmore Collaboration Commons and the Roberto W. Young Family Terrace
Together, we can innovate and inspire
In addition to supporting 16 undergraduate and graduate programs, the ERIC is home to innovative research areas including earthquake engineering, cybersecurity, workforce development, advanced manufacturing, hydrology, big data, artificial intelligence, transportation, and biomaterials, just to name a few. The resulting synergy enables the University of 蜜桃导航 to claim its place among the most relevant and effective comprehensive teaching and research universities in the nation.
Because of this, the ERIC offers a significant, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for corporate brand visibility and personal philanthropic goals. Your contribution will not only inspire the next generation STEM workforce, but your name will become synonymous with research and scholarly activity that inspires all dimensions of creativity, discovery and innovation. There are a variety of options to ensure that your philanthropic commitment is represented in perpetuity. We look forward to exploring the possibilities together.
Interested in naming and dedication opportunities?