New and Developing Capital Projects

The University of Georgia, with support from the state and donors, is investing in state-of-the-art facilities. From buildings that advance STEM teaching and research to an experiential learning center on the Georgia coast, UGA is committed to providing the very best facilities to our students, faculty, and staff.

Wormsloe Experiential Learning Center

A new facility near Georgia’s coast will enhance research, education, and outreach at one of the state’s most ecologically and historically significant natural sites.

In March, the University broke ground on the Experiential Learning Center at Wormsloe. The project expands the work of the Center for Research and Education at Wormsloe, which supports graduate students and faculty investigating a host of environmental and sociological questions over a range of disciplines, including ecology, archaeology, geology, engineering, forestry, and historic preservation.

The project is primarily funded by private donors, including the Wormsloe Foundation.

The Future of Agribusiness Poultry Science Complex

Georgia is the nation’s leading poultry-producing state. The College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences’ Department of Poultry Science has provided cutting-edge research and produced graduates who have led this industry for more than five decades.

The new Poultry Science Complex will better equip our faculty and students, the Georgia communities we support, and the nation’s poultry industry for the challenges and opportunities of the future. This project is supported by state funding and private backing from alumni, friends, and industry partners.

fascade of Holmes-Hunter Academic Building
Holmes-Hunter Academic Building

Holmes-Hunter Academic Building

The Holmes-Hunter Building on UGA’s historic North Campus pays tribute to Hamilton E. Holmes and Charlayne Hunter-Gault, the first African American students to enroll at UGA. Its name is a testament to our commitment to creating a positive learning environment for all students.

With a $15 million gift from the Woodruff Foundation, as well as institutional and private funding, a $30 million renovation project is underway to improve the functionality and preserve historic features of this building.

exterior of Shirley Mathis McBay Science Library

Shirley Mathis McBay Science Library

Last year, the Science Library was renamed in memory of Shirley Mathis McBay, the first African American to earn a Ph.D. in math at UGA and a national leader in promoting quality STEM education for people of color.

The Shirley Mathis McBay Science Library is home to the Makerspace, the South Campus Writing Center, and the Graduate Writing Center (GradsWrite). Construction will entail upgrades to the library’s facilities as well as a permanent exhibit to honor Dr. McBay.

A render of Black-Diallo-Miller Hall

Residence Hall Black-Diallo-Miller Hall

UGA’s newest residence hall was named for the first African American students to enroll as freshmen and complete their undergraduate degrees: Harold A. Black, Mary Blackwell Diallo, and Kerry Rushin Miller. This fall, on the 60th anniversary of the year that these distinguished alumni enrolled, the six-story, nearly $50 million project will begin housing 525 first-year students.

“It is a privilege to recognize the incredible contributions of these individuals,” said Michelle Cook, senior vice provost for diversity and inclusion and strategic university initiatives. “They were instrumental in paving the way for so many who have come behind them, and this naming will ensure that their stories are forever a part of our institution’s history.”

Enhancing Scientific Research

To address the world’s grandest challenges, we need a more interdisciplinary approach to research—along with facilities that promote cross-discipline collaboration. The development of new research buildings and renovation of existing facilities helps our infrastructure keep pace with the University’s growth in research and development.

This year saw improvements to the Driftmier Engineering Center and Poultry Science Complex as well as the opening of our first Interdisciplinary STEM Research (I-STEM) Building, which includes three levels of lab and support space for research in areas ranging from cell imaging and microfluidic separation to combustion chemistry and medical robotics.

In addition, thanks to University and state funds, a multi-year Science and Ag Hill renovation plan includes improvements to nearly 300,000 combined square feet in the Chemistry Building and the Biological Sciences Building.