The Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) dedicated its newest research building, the Frederick E. Giesecke Engineering Research Building, on Thursday, April 30. The 70,000-square-foot integrative research facility focuses on three areas: nanofabrication, materials characterization and energy research. The facility includes nanofabrication laboratories, the Corrosion Science and Materials Reliability Laboratory, and research space for Texas A&M University faculty, staff and students working for the Texas A&M Energy Institute.
“This facility will foster an environment that attracts the best and brightest minds to develop solutions for society’s biggest challenges,” said Dr. M. Katherine Banks, vice chancellor and dean of engineering at Texas A&M and director of TEES. “Naming this building for a former student and professor based on his scholarly merit and significant contributions to this university and TEES is fitting.”
The building was built as part of a P3 contract, in which the facility was privately developed by DDM Texas Group, LLC and BioRealty, Inc. and leased back to The Texas A&M University System, on behalf of TEES for use by the engineering nano laboratories at Texas A&M.
The building is named after Dr. Frederick E. Giesecke, class of 1886, who served as director of TEES from 1928-1939. He was also a professor at Texas A&M and was involved in the design and construction of some of the campus’ most iconic buildings, including the Academic Building and Williams Administration Building.
Giesecke is also the great-grandfather of Rep. Charlie Geren, who was in attendance at the ceremony. Giesecke’s family has a long history at Texas A&M, and many of his family members are Aggies.
“This building will be a place of innovation and it is fitting that is named after a man whose innovative thinking can be seen throughout the Texas A&M campus,” said John Sharp, chancellor of the A&M System. “We want to support researchers who have the vision and dedication that Dr. Giesecke had. And by providing them with state-of-the-art facilities such as this new building, we are doing that.”
The new building is located at 1617 Research Parkway in Research Park on the Texas A&M University campus in College Station, Texas.
For more information, visit the Frederick E. Giesecke Engineering Research Building page.