Your impact on Driftmier Engineering Center.
In 2022, the College of Engineering completed a three-year project to enhance and modernize the 1960s-era classrooms, labs, and office in the Driftmier Engineering Center. This massive undertaking would not be possible without the support of our donors.
Completed in three phases, the project has transformed the Driftmier Engineering Center into a world-class teaching and learning facility designed to spark creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking.
“These new classrooms, laboratories, and other enhancements truly reflect the energy of our college and its students,” said Donald Leo, former Dean of the College of Engineering. “The project demonstrates UGA’s commitment to engineering education and serves as a dynamic launch pad for the future of our growing college.”
Funded through state support, institutional funds, and gifts from corporate donors and alumni, the renovation provides 110,000 square feet of new state-of-the-art classrooms, instructional laboratories, project suites, student support space, and collaborative spaces for the College of Engineering’s rapidly growing student body of more than 3,100 undergraduate and graduate students.
“On behalf of our students, I would like to thank everyone who has made these renovations possible,” said Emily Loncarich Ballard (BSME, ’21), who served as the student speaker at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. “These improvements are only going to enhance current and future students’ experiences. These updated spaces will show prospective students that UGA Engineering has grown tremendously and is highly competitive with other programs.”
Naming opportunities abound in the renovated Driftmier Engineering Center, and Brian and April Crow got in on the action by supporting a student huddle room, which provides space for teamwork and project-based learning.
SteelFab continued its generous support of the College of Engineering with a gift to name the SteelFab Classroom, completed during Phase 2 of the renovations to the Driftmier Engineering Center. The classroom offers 41 seats, 1,237 square feet of instructional space, and access to state-of-the-art equipment.
While Georgia Power has been a long-time supporter of the College of Engineering, the company recently enriched its legacy with a significant gift to name the Georgia Power Auditorium. The beautiful new tiered auditorium, completed during Phase 2 of the renovations to the Driftmier Engineering Center, provides a state-of-the-art classroom equipped with 125 seats and 4,260 square feet of instructional space.
Georgia-Pacific supported the renovation of the Driftmier Engineering Center with a generous gift to name a classroom. The Georgia-Pacific Classroom, completed during Phase 2 of the renovations, can seat 48 students and has 1,288 square feet of instructional space.
Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation gave a generous gift to name the Gulfstream Innovation Classroom, a symbol of their commitment to enhance their partnership with the College and to promote innovation and advancement in engineering. In addition to naming the Classroom, Gulfstream established the Gulfstream Innovation Graduate Fellowship to support a graduate student working on new and emerging technologies in the College of Engineering.
Holmes Bell and his wife Lisa aren’t UGA graduates, but they chose to generously support the advancement of the UGA College of Engineering by naming the Hussey Gay Bell Conference Room, named for the engineering and architectural firm headquartered in Savannah. Holmes is Chairman and CEO of Hussey Gay Bell, which is responsible for notable projects like the 2,000 acre Palmetto Dunes Resort on Hilton Head Island, the 2,500 acre Savannah Quarters PUD off the I-95 corridor in Pooler, and Boeing’s 787 Expansion in Charleston. The firm is well-known for its long history of professional and civic involvement in an effort improve the quality of life for the people in the communities it serves.
Jeff McLendon (BSAE, ’90) has been a faithful supporter of the College of Engineering with both his time and treasure. He created the B. Derrell McLendon Scholarship, in honor of his dad, to support engineering students. To add to that legacy, in 2022, he made a generous gift to name the B. Derrell McLendon Circuits Lab. Derrell held a B.S. and M.S. in Agricultural Engineering from UGA and was a former faculty member in the Department of Agricultural Engineering Department, prior to the establishment of the College of Engineering. He is also a past D.W. Brooks Faculty Award in Teaching recipient. Derrell was a popular professor with his students and used the influence he had to make a significant difference in their lives.
As part of a $5 million gift to the University of Georgia, Delta Air Lines made a generous gift to the College of Engineering to name the Delta Student Success Center. This center now provides a state of the art home for academic advising, student enrichment, and experiential learning through instructional and meeting spaces devoted to team projects and collaboration between students, faculty, and industry partners. The Center also houses the Emerging Engineers Leadership Development program, which offers opportunities for the leadership development for undergraduate engineering majors.
Donald Leo served as the first appointed dean of the College of Engineering, holding the position from July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2024. As part of his commitment to the college and its students, he and his wife, Jeannine Alexander, and his family generously named the Leo Family Huddle Room. He dedicated the room to all UGA Engineering students.
Hailey Hebebrand Morelli (BSCE, ’17) and her husband, Reid, generously named the Hebebrand-Morelli Family Student Success Office in 2024. Hailey was heavily involved in student life while an undergraduate student at UGA, serving as an Engineering Student Ambassador, as well as having active roles in the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Society of Women Engineers, and UGA Miracle. Hailey is a member of the Engineering Advisory Board.
