Science, engineering and technology fields are critical to building and maintaining a strong economy in Northwest Florida. Growth in high-tech industries, especially those related to the defense industry, creates an urgent need for college graduates with a specialty in the science and engineering fields.

The University of West Florida initially responded to existing needs through an innovative educational partnership with the University of Florida. Since its inception in 1996, the joint degree program has shown tremendous growth from 96 to 280 students. Beginning in the spring of 2009, however, UWF will begin granting the electrical and computer engineering degrees. To meet future needs, UWF will construct a $32 million Science and Technology Building on the Pensacola campus by fall 2009 that will house the engineering, mathematics and statistics, computer science and physics programs.

Funding Priorities:

• Scholarship and internship support for students majoring in science and technology fields
• Funding for state-of-the-art equipment for science and engineering teaching and research laboratories in the new Science and Technology Building and in the UWF/Fort Walton Beach facilities

Impact of Support...by 2010:

• Increased scholarship and internship opportunities in UWF's premier hands-on engineering and technology programs are strongly integrated with regional workforce needs.
• Area high school engineering programs are further developed, expanded and modeled after the Choctaw High School program.
• Further developing their leadership and innovation skills, UWF students are competing and excelling in state-of-the-art capstone projects and student academic competition.
• Faculty support and undergraduate student research opportunities are enhanced.
• Students are studying and learning in a new Science and Technology Building with all state-of-the-art labs such as very large scale integration laboratories (VLSI labs).
• Degree programs in engineering technology with tracks in construction, electrical, information and manufacturing are offered in the classroom and through distance learning to assist in meeting the needs of the Northwest Florida region and beyond.