Mount St. Mary’s University will receive $4 million in federal workforce development funds to help meet the region’s increased demand for growth in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The funds will be used to help complete the 21,000-square-foot addition to and renovation of the university’s Coad Science Building.
The Mount has experienced significant growth in science and technology programs and the funds will be used to create state-of-the-art labs and teaching spaces to meet the demands of future learners.
The appropriation was secured by U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen (both D-Md.) and Representative David Trone (D-Md.), who support the expansion of the Coad Science Building and work-based training in rural Maryland. The members of Congress expressed support for the Mount’s efforts to build educator-industry partnerships and strengthen cross-disciplinary STEM courses, especially in computer science, cybersecurity and the physical sciences.
“We are grateful to Congressman Trone and Senators Cardin and Van Hollen for their support of the university’s expansion and renovation of our STEM research facilities to support American competitiveness in high-demand fields such as computer science, data science, cybersecurity, neuroscience and biological, environmental, and physical sciences, as well as contribute to a highly trained STEM workforce for the state of Maryland,” said President Timothy E. Trainor, Ph.D.
“Maryland’s future economy is a STEM economy, and our workforce must be trained and equipped to thrive in these fields. This new, $4 million investment in Mount St. Mary’s Coad Science Building will ensure that its students who are seeking expertise in the STEM fields have a first-class learning facility to prepare them,” said Senator Cardin. “Team Maryland is thrilled to announce this investment in our future and will continue fighting for additional resources to ensure that our emerging workforce is prepared to thrive on the road ahead.”
Senator Van Hollen, a member of the Appropriations Committee, emphasized that STEM skills are more in-demand than ever, and teaching students in these fields will help prepare them for well-paying jobs while strengthening Maryland’s workforce. “That’s why we fought to deliver this direct federal funding for Mount St. Mary’s. With these resources, the Mount will be able to transform its STEM 
facilities and boost their capacity to set students up for success in the industries of the future. Together, we are creating opportunity for more Marylanders while deepening our state’s bench of highly-skilled workers.”
“Providing every Marylander an opportunity to succeed, especially in high-skill, sought-after trades like STEM, is a win-win for all of us. Not only will these programs help develop our country’s future leaders, but they will also create and fill jobs down the line in our state,” said Congressman Trone. “In Congress, our 
number one job is to provide our constituents with the tools they need to succeed. These community-driven investments will do just that.”
The scope of work for the Coad Science Building includes three phases that will begin in March with the addition of neuroscience, computational and microscopy research labs as well as collaborative learning spaces. The second phase will build out the second and third levels of the addition with science labs, classrooms and experiential research spaces. The third phase will renovate the existing space in the Coad Science Building.
Built in 1964, Coad is a three-story 50,100 square foot building serving the School of Natural Science and Mathematics, which has outgrown the existing space and needs to be renovated for modern STEM pedagogical practices. The new classroom and lab spaces will be technology-rich, multi-use, flexible and configurable for a variety of instructional formats and class sizes.
Specific goals for the building addition include a design that promotes circulation and spontaneous interaction; is flexible and adaptable; and provides natural light where STEM students and faculty in action can see and be seen.
The $20 million Coad expansion and renovation project is also being funded by a $2 million grant from the State of Maryland, in conjunction with donations made in support of the project through the Forward! Together as One Campaign. A lead donation from George B. Delaplaine, Jr. will provide the collaborative space, to be called the Delaplaine Family Academic Commons. Other top-level donors to the expansion project are the Page Family Foundation; Trish and D.J. Monagle, both C’84; Paula and Fred Neuer, M.D., C’67; and Christina Lee and Mark Sobus, J.D., Ph.D., C’89.
The federal funds come from federal congressionally directed spending via the Fiscal Year 2023 Omnibus Appropriations Bill, signed into law on December 29, 2022. Congressionally directed spending allows members of Congress to recommend important projects in their state or district for consideration by the Senate and House Appropriations Committees. Trone, Van Hollen and Cardin presented the Mount’s expansion plan as an investment designed to benefit the State of Maryland and Frederick County.
Maryland’s congressional delegation secured $36.5 million in congressionally directed spending for education and workforce development projects throughout the state of Maryland in the FY23 omnibus.