Hartford Business Journal

18 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | APRIL 29, 2024 FOCUS: Higher Education (From left) UConn's Science 1 building in Storrs, Hartford campus and Werth residence hall in Storrs are some of the new projects that were funded through the university's 10-year NextGenCT initiative. PHOTOS | CONTRIBUTED Higher Stature As UConn's 10-year, $1.5B NextGenCT initiative wraps up, school eyes additional investment in STEM facilities and expansion projects and other uses. NextGen has been funded through both capital and operating budget components. In exchange for the funding, UConn was required by the legislature to track its progress in reaching certain benchmarks, including how it ranks nationally vs. other U.S. research universities. UConn, which has more than 32,000 students across multiple campuses statewide, recently published a Next- GenCT annual report that was shared with the school's board of trustees in February. The report, dated December 2023, is significant because it high- lights nearly a decade of progress since the 10-year program was first approved by the legislature. It outlines key successes, including the construction of major new buildings on UConn's Storrs and satellite campuses — many aimed at attracting STEM-focused students and faculty. New buildings erected over the last decade included the: • $220 million, 200,000-square- foot STEM Research Center and Science building in Storrs that came online during the current academic year. By Hanna Snyder Gambini hgambini@hartfordbusiness.com U Conn's 10-year, $1.5 billion Next Generation Connecticut (NextGenCT) initiative, which targeted investments in facilities, faculty and enrollment, was touted as "one of the most ambitious state investments in economic develop- ment, higher education and research in the nation." The program's focus when state lawmakers and former Gov. Dannel P. Malloy originally approved it in 2013, was to help make UConn a top research institution in science, technology, engineering and math through new buildings, faculty and staff, and increased enrollment. A decade later, the program has yielded some significant results, including major new campus facili- ties, increased research dollars and enrollment in STEM fields of study, and new faculty and industry part- nerships that have spurred economic development across the state, officials said. However, some shortfalls in initial funding expectations have hindered UConn's ability to achieve some NextGenCT goals, particularly around faculty hires. Even still, UConn and Demo- cratic and Republican legislative leaders say the investment has been a success, helping to raise the stature of Connecticut's flagship public university. And more investment could be on the way. UConn has requested $420 million in additional capital funding from lawmakers for current and future STEM projects, which the school says would help address Connecticut's current and future workforce shortages. "If you value public education, you've got to support higher educa- tion institutions," said Speaker of the House Matt Ritter, a Hartford Democrat who has been a big proponent of investment in UConn. "At the end of the day, tell me how we could have better directed those resources." By the numbers NextGenCT was an extension of the UConn 2000 program that was launched in the 1990s and provided the school with billions of dollars in capital spending for campus renovation 15K 12K 9K 6K 3K 0 UConn undergraduate students enrolled in STEM programs ENROLLMENT* *Enrollment includes students at UConn's Storrs and regional campuses. | Source: UConn 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024

• Cover