USM Celebrates Nov. 7 Grand Opening for Biomedical Sciences and Engineering Building at Rockville-based Universities at Shady Grove

$175 Million Project Key Part of Major Expansion of USM Regional Centers

Baltimore, Md. (Nov. 5, 2019) – The University System of Maryland (USM) celebrates this week’s opening of the new Biomedical Sciences and Engineering education facility at the system’s regional higher education center in Montgomery County, the Universities at Shady Grove (USG). A grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony takes place at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 7.

The Biomedical Sciences and Engineering (BSE) education facility is a $175 million project that will allow USG to expand educational offerings and degrees in the STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). These programs include new offerings from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) in life sciences, cybersecurity and engineering; from the University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP) Clark School of Engineering; and from the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) School of Dentistry.

USG is located at 9636 Gudelsky Drive in Rockville. USM Board of Regents Chair Linda Gooden and Chancellor Robert L. Caret will participate in the ceremony.

Established more than 20 years ago, the concept of the USM regional centers is unique nationally. The regional centers are not “satellite” campuses of a single university, but rather conveniently and strategically located sites where multiple universities deliver their most in-demand undergraduate, graduate, professional degree, and certificate programs. The USM maintains two other regional higher education centers: USM Hagerstown in western Maryland and USM at Southern Maryland in St. Mary’s County. USM has broken ground on a new Academic and Innovation Center, an $86 Million, 84,000-square foot academic and research facility that will nearly double USMSM’s educational footprint, create autonomous systems research space, and spur economic activity and job growth.

“A major expansion is also underway at USMSM, as construction is underway on the Academic and Innovation Center NAME building that will greatly expand classroom space and provide testing facilities for drone research conducted by the UMCP Clarks School of Engineering….]

Since its opening in 2000, USG has grown rapidly and increased the number of students served on its campus from an initial cohort of 200 to more than 3,000 today. Approximately 12,000 undergraduate and graduate-level degrees have been awarded by USG’s nine participating universities to students who have attended the campus. Programs are offered at USG by the following nine University System of Maryland universities: University of Maryland, College Park; Bowie State; Salisbury University; University of Baltimore; University of Maryland, Baltimore; UMBC; University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES); and University of Maryland Global Campus.

“The Universities at Shady Grove is a critical, successful, and major component of the higher education landscape in Montgomery County. Having served several years ago on the USG Board of Visitors, it gives me great pride to see this marvelous new facility move from concept to completion,” Gooden said. “Our three regional centers are hubs of innovation and training that extend the reach of the fine institutions in our system—benefitting both students and local businesses. We are grateful to leadership in Annapolis for providing the funding to support this important and unique regional model.”

The BSE is a six-level, 220,000-square-foot facility that will double the footprint of the campus and allow USG to increase enrollment capacity from its current 3,000-plus students to more than 7,500, during the next several years. Its constriction makes it one of the most sustainably sourced laboratory buildings in the region and is on track for LEED Platinum certification, the highest level of certification issued by the U.S. Green Business Council.
An exciting feature of the BSE will be a community dental clinic operated by the School of Dentistry at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Equipped with 24 operatory stations, the clinic will provide comprehensive dental care to community patients. Faculty-supervised dental students and dental hygiene students will provide the patient care.

“In many ways this new Biomedical Sciences and Engineering education facility represents the best of the USM regional center model—providing students with access to an affordable education, businesses with innovation partners and a highly trained workforce, and communities with enhancements to the local quality of life,” said USM Chancellor Robert L. Caret. “We are proud to expand this important work in Montgomery County, and greatly appreciate both the state and county leaders who support this vision.”

Contact: Mike Lurie
Phone: 301.445.2719
Email: mlurie@usmd.edu