BATON ROUGE — Southern University broke ground Tuesday morning on a new "state-of-the-art" STEM facility.

The three-story building will enhance science, technology, engineering and mathematics education at the university and be a hub for collaboration with industrial partners.

The $68 million facility was funded by appropriations from the Capital Outlay Act and will feature 21 labs for physics, chemistry, biology, and mathematics. The three-story building will also have 16 classroom spaces, a student common area for collaboration and learning, and support spaces for administrators, professors and staff. 

“Our mission is to provide a transformative educational experience and opportunities to our students so they can become global leaders in STEM and innovation,” Lealon Martin, dean of the College of Sciences and Engineering, said. “Our overarching goal is to become the top producer of students with degrees in STEM.” 

The STEM complex will replace William Henry James Hall and is expected to be completed by spring 2027.