New computer science building will help meet economic needs of state

Artificial intelligence, network security, and high-performance computation are just of few of the disciplines expected to thrive in Colorado State University’s new $14 million, 45,000-square-foot computer science building.

The new building, where officials broke ground in September, is an investment in students, faculty, and the economic health of Colorado, said Colorado State President Larry Edward Penley. "The economy of the state is closely tied to high-technology industries, and we as Coloradans face a challenge of increasing our competitiveness in information technology fields."

The need statewide and nationally for computer science professionals remains high, and companies are clamoring for CSU’s computer science student-interns and graduates, said Darrell Whitley, CSU professor and chair of the Department of Computer Science. Expanding CSU’s computer science presence will help bring more computer science graduates into the state's workforce.

In addition to serving as a home for CSU’s highly competitive Computer Science program, the new building will serve students in every major on campus. The four-story facility, which will centralize computer science and information technology research, will house more than 200 computers, 27 faculty offices, a Linux lab to provide interactive programming opportunities during classes, and three main computer labs, including a personal-computing lab open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The project was funded by CSU students, through a campus facilities fee students approved in 2005.

CSU’s Department of Computer Science currently ranks in the top 60 programs of its kind in the nation.