A new home to train the next generation of social workers and nurses is currently under construction at UTA. The University broke ground for the building on Feb. 9.
The development will provide more opportunities for transformative education and training of UTA students. It will also usher in critical advances in health care, bringing together the University’s celebrated School of Social Work and the College of Nursing and Health Innovation’s Smart Hospital.
“Collaborative work here will set the stage for the future of health care and social work, says Teik C. Lim, interim president.
The building will provide room for these programs to evolve to meet community needs, replacing outdated facilities that can no longer accommodate the University’s growth. For more than 50 years, the School of Social Work has promoted excellence in research, teaching, and service to create educational opportunities for students and their communities. On the nursing side, UTA graduates the most nurses in Texas and has one of the largest nursing programs in the nation. The nursing program was named a 2020 Center of Excellence by the National League for Nursing.
“This space will support UTA’s commitment to advancing knowledge, serving our students, and improving our communities, especially in health care,” says Dr. Lim. “When we allow room for great minds to come together to innovate, all of society benefits.”
New digs
The 150,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility will serve nursing and social work students while fostering cross-disciplinary collaboration.
Community-Focused
“This opportunity will allow us to have more vibrant interactions with our students and will propel us forward in doing innovative social work for the community and continuing to be a top program in the nation.” – Scott Ryan, School of Social Work Dean
Next-Level Learning
The new building will be a mix of flexible technology-enriched learning spaces and labs, a simulation learning center, and faculty and staff offices.
Enhanced Training
“This building will greatly benefit our students by providing them access to greater clinical simulation experiences as a part of their education.” – Elizabeth Merwin, College of Nursing and Health Innovation Dean
Care Quad
The facility will create a new Health Sciences Quad adjacent to the Science & Engineering Innovation & Research building, the Life Science building, and Pickard Hall.
