Gov. Pritzker cuts ribbon at Illinois State's new College of Engineering campus in Bloomington

BLOOMINGTON (Illinois State News) — Illinois State University cut the ribbon on its new College of Engineering campus Tuesday, with Governor JB Pritzker joining students, university leaders, and community partners to mark the opening of the 392,000-square-foot facility on 28 acres of Campus East.

The ceremony capped a decade of planning that was approved by the Illinois Board of Higher Education. The College of Engineering welcomed its first cohort of 168 students in fall 2025 and a second class of more than 140 new students this fall.

ISU President Aondover Tarhule called the opening a defining moment for the university.

"Today marks a defining moment in Illinois State University's legacy. All of us gathered here today are witnessing history unfold," Tarhule said. "This exciting investment in engineering is just the beginning of a vibrant hub for collaboration, research, and experiential learning across disciplines."

Tarhule said the acquisition of Campus East was a major financial decision for the university, but one that will save the school at least $150 million in future construction costs needed to support growth in the College of Engineering.

Governor Pritzker said the new campus is a demonstration of the state's commitment to higher education and the innovation economy.

"Illinois has always been a state where people design, build, and innovate. It is incumbent on us in state government to harness that spirit and to invest in it," Pritzker said. "The new Illinois State College of Engineering is a sterling example of that vision in action."

Pritzker also framed the campus as an investment in the state's future workforce. "The future of our state is being formed right here in the heart of Illinois," he said. "The engineering students here will become the innovators who imagine and build transportation of the future, who accelerate our productivity to new heights, and who develop new and more efficient sources of clean energy."

The redesigned Campus East features state-of-the-art facilities, including computer and circuit labs, a collaborative research space, a wood and metal shop, a makerspace with 3D printers, and a student success center. University leaders said the building is designed to serve about 700 students now, with room to eventually grow to about 1,200.

Students said the new space has changed how they work and collaborate. Edison Charles, a second-year electrical engineering student, said the building helped him connect classroom lessons to a future career.

"I got to see what engineering actually looks like outside of a classroom," Charles said. "Being able to see that side of engineering made a lot of what I was learning in our labs make a lot more sense. It showed me that all the work we're putting in now really does have a purpose in the future."

Cayla Weygand, an ISU mechanical engineering student, said the new space is far more open than the previous building. "At our old building, we were all very crammed together," Weygand said. "This new building, it's a lot more open. I can run into people all the time, and that ends up having a lot more collaboration with our homework and projects."

Tom Keyser, founding Dean of the College of Engineering, said the program is designed to be deeply connected to the needs of students, industry partners, and the state. "Our goal is to build an engineering program that is deeply connected to the needs of our students, our industry partners, and the state," Keyser said. "Together, these resources position our students to graduate ready to contribute from day one."

The campus also integrates energy-efficient design. A solar energy system, scheduled to be completed in the summer of 2027, will serve as a living learning lab for engineering students exploring renewable energy. The solar array is expected to provide about 85 percent of the energy needs for the entire Campus East property.

A Connect Transit bus now runs every 20 minutes between campuses, easing travel times for students.

State and local leaders who spoke at the event praised the expansion. Senate Assistant Majority Leader Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) said expanding engineering opportunities at ISU will help grow the talent pipeline so more students call central Illinois home. State Representative Sharon Chung (D-Bloomington) called the opening a signal that Illinois will continue to lead in higher education and innovation.

The opening comes as demand for engineering talent grows across the infrastructure, transportation, energy, technology, and advanced manufacturing industries in Illinois.