The Illinois Institute of Technology is creating a new technology lab for one of its engineering programs through a contribution from agriculture software company Trimble.
The new lab will be for students in Illinois Tech’s Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering's Construction Engineering and Management Program. The lab will be a place where students can receive hands-on experience with a range of Trimble solutions that can assist in learning how to build and transform buildings and living environments into better-designed, sustainable civil projects.
Sunnyvale, California-based Trimble, which creates hardware, software and technology services for the agriculture, construction and natural resources industries, will provide its software and equipment to students in the lab, which includes items like Trimble’s SiteVision augmented reality software and its 3D laser scanners.
"We are thrilled to bring the Trimble Technology Lab to our campus," said Brent Stephens, the chair of the CAEE department, in a statement. "The hands-on experiences enabled by this gift will make an immediate and lasting impact on our students' education and careers."
The value of Trimble's contribution to Illinois Tech was not disclosed.
Illinois Tech, which is Chicago’s only tech-focused university, offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in engineering, computing, architecture, business, design, science and human sciences, and law.
The Trimble lab is just the latest tech-focused addition Illinois Tech has made. Earlier this year, the Institute launched a new College of Computing to help prepare students for tech jobs. The new College houses the school's computer science, data science, artificial intelligence, applied mathematics, cybersecurity, and information technology and management programs.
And last year, Illinois Tech created a new degree program that allows students to earn a Bachelor of Science in Artificial Intelligence, which made it the first college in the U.S. to offer a degree solely focused on AI.
