502 Davis Hall, the T.Y. Lin Structural Engineering classroom, is our largest classroom, with a capacity to seat 80 people. This past summer, our warhorse classroom got a much deserved, and long overdue, makeover.
“One of my main priorities as chair has been to enhance the student experience,” says Robert Harley, CEE Department Chair. “That means upgrading our classrooms and teaching labs so that our students learn in facilities that reflect our status as a top program.”
Before
In the old layout, students in the back had trouble seeing presentations on the screens due to the room’s length.
After
One of the biggest design decisions in the upgrade of 502 was to flip the room’s layout 90 degrees.
The upgrade was made possible by a generous gift from Margaret Lin, the widow of T.Y. Lin, former CEE faculty member and founder of T.Y. Lin International, and her son, Paul Lin, a long-time member of the CEE Advisory Council.
Because of the tight timeline and construction delays, the classroom received its final approval for occupancy from the campus Fire Marshall the day before classes resumed in the fall.
Most of our structural engineering professors taught in the newly renovated classroom. Offerings included a required sophomore-level class on structure and properties of engineering materials, structural analysis and capstone design classes for senior undergraduates, as well as graduate-level classes on dynamics of structures, mechanics of solids, and reinforced concrete structures.
This fall, 502 Davis was also home to a cross-cutting class in civil systems analysis, as well as structural engineering seminars and monthly ASCE student group meetings.
"The room was used every day by hundreds of students, who appreciated the more comfortable furniture, the room's improved appearance, and better rapport with their instructors," says Harley.