Tennessee Tech University will receive more than $2 million in federal funding to help construct our new nursing building, enhance science and technology teaching programs, and support research for pavement repair materials.

The TTU funding, which was included in the U.S. Congress discretionary spending bill Nov. 20, comes as a result of efforts by members of the Tennessee delegation in Congress – Sens. Bill Frist and Lamar Alexander and Reps. Bart Gordon and Lincoln Davis.

“We’re grateful for the support we receive from our Tennessee delegation in Washington,” says President Bob Bell. “They keep the interests of Tennessee Tech and all of their constituents in mind as they continue the good work they do for our nation.”

“Tennessee Tech is one of the best universities in the state,” says Gordon. “And the students and faculty at Tech are among the best and brightest. That’s why I work so hard to ensure the university has the resources it needs to teach students the skills needed to compete in a dynamic, high-tech workforce.”

The federal funds include $500,000 for the School of Nursing building project, for which private donations are currently being sought. The new nursing facility will allow us to double the number of nurses it graduates each year, helping address a nursing shortage in Tennessee and across the nation. The project will also allow TTU to create a Center for Rural Health Nursing, which will focus on serving the nursing and health-related needs of the rural populations surrounding us. University officials hope to break ground on the facility next fall.

Just over $1.3 million in funding will support a new STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) Center on campus. The proposed $6 million center will focus on teaching and learning in those fields and house state-of-the-art laboratories to help train teachers in the region to develop better methods of teaching science-related subjects with appropriate technology. The ultimate goal, according to campus officials, is to develop ways to help students become better educated and prepared for careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

“Math and science skills are critical for workers in an increasingly global economy,” says Senate Majority Leader Frist. “This funding is an investment in Cookeville students, and will allow Tennessee Technological University to ensure its students are prepared to use the science and technology driving the world marketplace.”

The project will have both immediate and long-term impact, according to Bell.

“By helping our teachers today learn better methods to use in the classrooms, we’re also helping all the future generations of students who will study and work in these fields," he says. "The center will benefit everyone — the K-12 systems through teacher and student preparation, the university through collaboration and research, and the community through a more highly trained and skilled workforce. And what better place to house it than the state’s only technological university?”

Campus researchers will also benefit from another $250,000 in federal funds to continue research on materials for rapid repairs of highway and airfield pavements. TTU faculty members are currently working on a process to speed repairs and reduce expense for both commercial and military operations. The funding will allow continued refinement and improvement of the materials.