ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — Missouri's demand for trained engineers remains high, so the University of Missouri-St. Louis is opening a new School of Engineering.
On Wednesday, UMSL launched its new engineering school. It was funded by an $8 million grant from the James S. McDonnell Foundation, one of the largest one-time philanthropic gifts in the University's history.
The grant will help support the launch of the new school, which will begin enrolling students next fall and offer four-year degrees in civil, electrical, and mechanical engineering.
"This is a really historical moment. It's a unique moment in that the industry, alumni, and our community can help shape the future of our region," said Lisa Capone, Vice Chancellor for University Advancement at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
The grant funds immediate and endowed scholarships that will support students over the school’s school years and for decades into the future, training them for in-demand careers with high earning potential.
UMSL’s pre-collegiate Bridge Program will receive a $1 million endowment to support STEM college readiness programs to prepare students for engineering degrees.
"We're really excited that, at a minimum, we hope to have 20 students come in each year with a McDonnell Foundation scholarship support. That's extremely important as we work to recruit students for the engineering school," Capone said.
The funding will also provide crucial financial support for hiring new, high-caliber faculty to teach and engage with the St. Louis industry.
Capone said their ideal candidate would align with the workforce industry's needs.
"To learn about what is needed for an electrical, mechanical, and civil engineer and how we can work to teach in the classrooms and to bring to bear experiences in our research laboratories that meet the demand of our workforce here locally," the vice chancellor said.
UMSL leaders said a 2021 market analysis showed significant shortcomings in the number of students earning civil, electrical, and mechanical engineering degrees at state universities. Thousands of jobs in those fields go unfilled each year.
"The industry was saying you all produce great engineers, but we would love to see even more. We also had students calling and inquiring if there were full-time options. So I think all of those things really built to a moment where UMSL said and Chancellor Sobolik said it's time to make a move for a full engineering school," Capone said.
The new UMSL School of Engineering was founded to address the high demand for trained engineers across the St. Louis region and beyond.
UMSL leaders are thrilled to welcome their first freshman students to the new School of Engineering, which will be located in the school's Science Complex, in the fall of 2025. At least 50 students have already signed up.
The University also received a $15 million state investment to renovate and construct labs, classrooms, and student community spaces in the Science Complex. These spaces will be used to train more engineering students.
School officials said they are currently in the planning and designing stages, and then they will begin construction.
Those renovations are underway, and the University is in the midst of a search for a new director who will oversee the operations of the new school.
Capone said they just completed their interview process and hope to have their new director start this spring.
Applications are now open for anyone interested in enrolling in the program.