UA Celebrates the Unveiling of H.M. Comer

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.  — The University of Alabama College of Engineering officially celebrated the opening of the newly renovated H.M. Comer Hall with a ribbon cutting ceremony today.

Over the past 17 months, H.M. Comer Hall has undergone a $24.6 million renovation. Due to the College of Engineering’s continuous growth, there was a need for a unified space to better support students, faculty and staff. The updated facility offers a centralized space for the College’s administrative offices, student services and external affairs and development.

“The newly renovated H.M. Comer Hall will be a huge benefit to students, and it will also support the College’s faculty, staff and administration,” said Dr. Chuck Karr, dean of UA’s College of Engineering. “Renovating H.M. Comer Hall was necessary to help us handle continuous growth in both undergraduate and graduate student enrollment as well as growth in the size of our faculty.”

Renovated with a student-minded focus, the second floor of the building houses information technology and engineering services, financial affairs, the Brasfield and Gorrie Advising Center and the College’s career center and cooperative education program in the ACIPCO Engineering Career Development Center.

“The Brasfield and Gorrie Advising Center will be a tremendous asset as we continue to work to ensure that students have every opportunity to complete their engineering education in an efficient manner,” Karr said. “The ACIPCO Engineering Career Development Center is important because it helps us connect students with potential employers – presenting employment opportunities both while they are in school and upon their graduation.”

The College’s new Patterson Welcome Center highlights their world-class research faculty and state-of-the-art facilities. Also located on the first floor is the student innovation lab called The Cube, the McAbee Grand Foyer, the Marczak Student Lounge and a 152-seat lecture hall.

The building’s third floor is home to a departmental suite with offices for all seven department heads, the dean’s office and the Kilgore Parlor.

“We are so very grateful to all of the donors who contributed to this effort,” Karr said.

The building makes a statement that the UA College of Engineering is a first-class institution and will help the College continue to recruit the best and brightest students and faculty.