College Receives New Grant for Renovation Project

New and exciting changes are coming to CSULB’s College of Engineering, as university officials announced that the College of Engineering received a massive new federal grant on Monday, Oct. 20.

During an outdoor ceremony held at CSULB’s Vivian Engineering Center, the university announced the federal grant was being awarded to the College of Engineering by the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC).

The federal grant plays a major role in the college’s efforts to support a $15 million renovation project for its engineering program. According to CSULB College of Engineering Dean Dr. Jinny Rhee, the $2.27 million federal grant is highly important, as it allows the college to obtain a wider range of utilities and educational advancements.

“Grants allow us to go above and beyond what we can fund through state resources alone,” said Rhee. “They allow us to advance knowledge through research, support students through scholarships and other programming, and develop state-of-the-art facilities.”

As for what the money will be used for, in terms of renovations, Rhee shared that the college intends to use the money to help purchase equipment for its Beach Launch Pad renovation project, including a new clean room and ground station for college’s satellite lab. The money from the federal grant will also be used to purchase metal 3D printers for advanced manufacturing, as well as mechanical instruments needed for the college’s wet labs.

Outside of the lab renovation project, according to Dr. Jinny Rhee, the College of Engineering also looks to use the money from the federal grant to help support its students, by providing access to more research projects and educational training.

“The grant will allow us to expand our project-based learning opportunities,” said Rhee. “Students will gain the opportunity to work on projects of importance to their future employers and to the region and beyond.”

Recently, the College of Engineering’s Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering program was ranked 3rd in the nation by the U.S. News & World Report. The College of Engineering’s Dean shared her joy on the program’s major achievement, highlighting the continued hard work of those involved in the program.

“I’m delighted for the program to be recognized for their good work,” said Rhee. “Their recent successes in student projects, competitions, accreditation, and research contribute to their increasing visibility, as well as the large size of their program and their proximity to cutting-edge aerospace industry partners. The new federal grant will provide equipment that they need to continue to shine and to reach new heights.”

The CSULB College of Engineering’s renovation project is expected to break ground starting next year. Dr. Rhee hopes that some of the new facilities will be fully available at the end of 2026 or early 2027.

Aside from the $2.27 million federal grant from the U.S. DOC, the college has also received funding from various other outside sources, including that of the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Health, and the Department of Defense including the Army, Navy and Air Force.

“Our faculty are engaged in important research for the nation and for society in multiple disciplines of engineering and computing,” said Rhee.

For more information on the CSULB College of Engineering, including their academic programs and research centers, you can visit their official website at https://www.csulb.edu/college-of-engineering.