Middle Georgia State is building a new academic facility on its Warner Robins Campus dedicated to Science, Technology, Engineering and Math initiatives, thanks to $5 million in funding included in the state's fiscal 2016 budget that Gov. Nathan Deal signed May 11. 

The STEM center, which will be the fourth building on the Warner Robins Campus, will allow Middle Georgia State to add much needed labs and technology-based classrooms. They will support STEM-related baccalaureate and graduate degrees and help Middle Georgia State grow as a university. Earlier this spring, the state Board of Regents approved Middle Georgia State to become a university as of July 1.

"We are grateful for the support of the governor and state legislature in getting the infrastructure we need to evolve programs and initiatives expected of a university," said Dr. Christopher Blake, Middle Georgia State's president. "This new facility on the Warner Robins Campus will increase our ability to innovate and our capacity to prepare more people for in-demand, high-skilled careers."

The governor traveled across the state on May 11 to sign the 2016 budget "so that Georgia can continue to move forward. For the fifth year in a row, we have accomplished something Washington has yet to do – pass a balanced budget," he said in a post on his official Facebook page. "Thank you to the General Assembly for its hard work on reaffirming our commitment to educating our children, creating jobs and ensuring the well-being and safety of all Georgians."

One of Deal's stops was in Macon, at Middle Georgia Regional Airport, where Blake had an opportunity to meet with him.

Opened in 2003, Middle Georgia State's Warner Robins Campus is located about half a mile from the main gate of Robins Air Force Base and across from City Hall. Currently, the 72-acre campus is home to three buildings - Thomas Hall, Academic Services and Oak Hall. It is also where Middle Georgia State is locating its Office of Graduate Studies. The Regents have already approved two graduate degrees for the soon-to-be university that will kick off this fall: a fully online master of science in information technology with concentrations in information security/digital forensics and health informatics and a master of science in nursing with a major in adult/gerontology acute care nurse practitioner.

The STEM center will be 16,100 gross square feet and is likely to be built near Oak Hall at the south end of the campus, although no final decisions have been made. Most of the assignable space will be dedicated to labs and other instructional space - two wet labs, a flexible lab space for various sciences, nursing lab, cybersecurity lab and a high-tech classroom. Other features will include space for the Office of Graduate Studies, faculty offices and student study areas. A construction start date or estimated completion time has not yet been set.

Warner Robins Campus instruction already supports bachelor's degrees in IT, business, applied science and early childhood education, along with several associate's degrees, including nursing. MGA has a strong articulation partnership with Central Georgia Technical College. The STEM focus of the new facility will allow MGA to develop and deliver programs to technical college graduates with certain associate's degrees to earn bachelor of applied science degrees through Middle Georgia State. The primary goal will be to produce more graduates, particularly among adult learners, in various STEM fields such as cybersecurity, nursing, natural sciences, aviation and, through the Regents Engineering Transfer Program, engineering.

Middle Georgia State plans to identify, link and leverage STEM learning initiatives within the region and beyond, coordinating with employers and communities.