COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee Tech University welcomed students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors and elected officials, including Governor Bill Lee, to campus for the grand opening of the Ashraf Islam Engineering Building.

The state-of-the-art, 100,000-square-foot academic space marks the university’s first new engineering building in 50 years. The three-story structure with laboratories and classrooms surrounds a central atrium adjoined by a two-story student project space, each detail meticulously designed with the student experience in mind.

In keynote remarks, Governor Lee called the building’s grand opening “a really important moment not only in Tennessee Tech’s history, but in the history of the state of Tennessee.”

Addressing the students gathered at the event, he added, “Thank you for choosing to invest your educational capital in the state of Tennessee in a great institution like Tennessee Tech that is a leader nationally – certainly in the field of engineering.”

The new building is named for Ashraf Islam, a Tech alumnus who came to the university from his native Bangladesh in 1965 and graduated with a degree in civil engineering.

Islam, who now resides in Houston, Texas, went on to become a successful transportation infrastructure businessman and philanthropic leader and made a generous $3 million gift toward the building’s construction.

“I am truly humbled to stand before you to celebrate not just the opening of this remarkable facility, but the culmination of my own journey that began more than half a century ago – a journey filled with dreams, determination and an unwavering belief in the transformative power of education,” said Islam in his address to the audience.

Islam went on to recall “the kindness of the Cookeville community” and expressed “a heart full of gratitude” for the Tech faculty who shaped his educational journey.

Tech President Phil Oldham praised Islam as “our cornerstone” for the building, adding that “Ashraf’s contribution made it possible for all other donors to realize the hope of their donations in this project.”

In additional remarks at the event, Tech Provost Lori Mann Bruce heralded the building as “a truly transformative step in how we support student success” while Tech Board of Trustees Chair Trudy Harper proclaimed the new facility as “the home of the future leaders, innovators, designers, dreamers – the people who are going to make this country even better than it is right now.”

The Ashraf Islam Engineering Building’s grand opening comes as Tech recently recorded its highest total enrollment since 2015 and fourth largest freshman class in university history.

Tech’s College of Engineering also set a fall 2024 all-time enrollment record, leading Joseph C. Slater, dean of the college, to declare “the dawn of a new era for the College of Engineering” at the grand opening, adding “the College of Engineering is stronger than ever, driving the prosperity of the citizens of Tennessee.”

Congressman John Rose, Congressman Chuck Fleischmann and Tech engineering student Lakayleh Helton delivered additional remarks, while Tech alumnus and longtime Golden Eagle Marching Band announcer Bob Luna served as emcee.