Description of Request

Submitted By: Dilpreet Bajwa, Department Head M&IE

Over the last few years the Mechanical and Industrial Engineering (M&IE) department has grown
significantly in terms of student body and research productivity. With recent tenure track faculty hires, it
has created an urgent need for additional research laboratory space. In 2022, five new tenure track faculty
were hired, with three additional faculty expected to join in 2023. Thus, M&IE is requesting additional lab
space in the Chemistry and Biochemistry Building (CBB) room 224, previously occupied by Dr. Connie
Chang in the Chemical & Biological Engineering department. Dr. Chang still has active MSU contracts, and
her 5 graduate students, post docs, and undergraduate students are still using this space. If allocated, M&IE
would plan to relocate two M&IE faculty, Dr. Yaofa Li (NSF CAREER awardee), and Dr. Lewis Cox to the
CBB lab. Both Dr. Li and Dr. Cox are active researchers with multiple research projects, and they have
outgrown their current space, and both are currently utilizing some of the equipment that is housed in CBB
224. Dr. Li has 6 graduate students, and 6 undergraduates and Dr. Cox has 3 graduate and 3 undergraduate
researchers. Additionally, the Quantum Foundry lab will be located in the basement of Barnard Hall,
making it crucial to find suitable lab space to support their growing research. Dr. Li was proposed to move
into Barnard 235 with Dr. Bajwa, however, if this request is approved then Mark Jankauski will move into
that space and vacate the lab he shared with Dr. Cox in Barnard 008F/G. The equipment housed in CBB
224 will serve M&IE faculty as well as other engineering faculty members from Chemical and Biological
Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering departments as well as the Center for Biofilm
Engineering. Currently, Dr. Anja Kunze, Ron June, and Stephanie McCalla frequently use and will continue
to utilize the tools and equipment in CBB 224 for their research, specifically the AAV storage in the -80
freezer, the PC12 and HCN2 cell line storage in the nitrogen freezer, and the plasma bonder with oxygen
tanks. The proposed move will free up space in Barnard Hall to accommodate some of the new tenure track
faculty hires. Dean Gunnink of the NACOE will coordinate the transition of users in this space if approved.

Resolution

Date: May 5, 2023

Space Management Committee has approved the allocation of the research lab in Chemistry Biochemistry Building 224, 224A, 226 to Dr. Yaofa Li and Dr. Lewis Cox.


Space Planning & Management
Sixth Avenue and Grant Street
Montana State University
Bozeman, MT 59717


Planning Manager:
Richard Rudnicki
Tel: (406)994-5560

Space Planner:
Alisha Downs
Tel: (406)994-4105
spm@montana.edu