Advanced Materials Corridor will foster innovation, learning

The Advanced Materials Corridor (AMC) is The Ohio State University’s investment in globally leading and commercially productive next-generation, materials research, development and experiential learning. Students, faculty, and research partners will discover and develop practical materials and process innovations that enable breakthroughs in the design and manufacture of everything from lighter, stronger, and more efficient vehicles, to engineering tissue and other biomaterials to save and extend lives.

The new facilities, equipment, and teaching environment will allow continuous advancement of the College of Engineering’s experiential learning, helping attract and develop the best faculty and students in the world. Materials innovation at Ohio State contributes significantly to the University’s role as a leader in manufacturing, medicine and mobility.

The $59.1 million project, funded by a combination of state and university investment, plus a $10 million philanthropic target, will transform the Koffolt and Fontana Lab buildings on 19th Avenue into modern, efficient spaces for 21st century teaching and research. The project will also enable the college to meet a long-time goal of bringing biomedical engineering to the central campus, allowing greater collaborative teaching and research efforts to make a critical difference for biomedical engineering students and faculty. 

Providing a comprehensive and dynamic research and teaching complex in the heart of campus, the AMC will enhance the experiential learning of our students and industry-sponsored research opportunities for our partners and world-class faculty. The unique collaboration between the Departments of Material Science and Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering will allow Ohio State to create new partnerships and strengthen existing relationships with industry. Buckeye engineers will be prepared to think creatively, problem-solve, and identify opportunities in ways that increase productivity and improves products, services, and systems, while working to address global challenges.  

By physically bringing together biomedical engineering and materials science, the project will enhance research and interdisciplinary collaboration, especially in areas like biomaterials. The global demand for biomaterials innovation is rapidly increasing. The AMC will allow students and faculty to more productively meet this demand, as this research continues to evolve and enhance orthopedic solutions and tissue engineering. The College of Engineering will be at the forefront of innovation in creating the next-generation of biomaterials tools and methods, improving and saving lives.

Following on the heels of the transformation of Koffolt Laboratories, a 225,000 square foot building providing state-of-the-art learning and research in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, the multi-phase renovation and replacement of Fontana, MacQuigg and Watts Laboratories continues the investment in creating a unique corridor demonstrating the commitment of the university to providing world-class facilities for current and future students, faculty and researchers, and industry partners.

The design and technology employed in the new AMC will enhance the ability of our world-class faculty, as they work to attract and lead the brightest and most gifted undergraduate and graduate students from around the globe, to foster inter-disciplinary research among disciplines. The AMC will create significant opportunities for students to expand their education beyond the classroom enabling our students, by participating in experiential learning in a leading edge facility, to gain practical experience in a professional environment that will equip them to become tomorrow's technology and business leaders.

“All or part of the Fontana Corrosion Center will be relocated into the newly renovated space,” said Gerald Frankel, professor and director of the center. “The upgrade in the quality of the experimental environment is expected to provide research synergies by bringing the whole group together into one large space. We will also be able to proudly show off our labs.”

Designed as a "Green Building" to maximize efficiency, future use, and flexibility, the AMC focuses on enhanced collaboration between principle investigators, undergraduate & graduate students, and faculty and industry partners, allowing us to put "Research and Education on Display."  Scheduled to open in 2020, the Advanced Materials Corridor provides a world class learning and research facility, promising to be envied by our peers. 

Interested in learning how to support this critical project? Please contact Steve Crissinger, senior director of development for the college, at crissinger.15@osu.edu.