Celebrating Engineering Hall

Samueli School officially dedicates new building and major cardiovascular research center

More than 200 people gathered on Thursday, Oct. 29, 2009, to help The Henry Samueli School of Engineering commemorate a special evening, dedicating the opening of the new Engineering Hall building and The Edwards Lifesciences Center for Advanced Cardiovascular Technology, located within Engineering Hall.



The outdoor Engineering Hall Plaza was transformed into a festive atmosphere for guests and friends of the School, complete with live jazz music and soft candlelight.



The evening featured remarks by Chancellor Michael V. Drake, M.D.; Distinguished Professor and Dean Rafael L. Bras, Sc.D.; Michael A. Mussallem, Chairman and CEO, Edwards Lifesciences Corporation; and James V. Mazzo, Chair, Engineering Advisory Council and President, Abbott Medical Optics.



Each speaker addressed the importance of the building to engineering, the significance of the research and education that will benefit from this new space and resource, and the generosity and dedication of Edwards Lifesciences Corporation, who made the Edwards Lifesciences Center possible.



Engineering Hall primarily houses the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) and photonic laboratories for the Department of Biomedical Engineering, offices for faculty and students, administrative offices, a spacious 350-seat auditorium and lecture facility, and The Edwards Lifesciences Center for Advanced Cardiovascular Technology.



The Edwards Lifesciences Center is a first-class research facility located on the second floor of Engineering Hall, dedicated to researching and developing the next generation of cardiovascular devices.  Founded in 2007 by a generous $5 million gift from Edwards Lifesciences Corporation, this multidisciplinary center focuses on heart and vascular diseases and advanced cardiovascular device technology, with strong collaboration among students, faculty, and experts in the cardiovascular field. 



Many thanks were expressed to everyone who made this building and Center a reality, including the following:

•    Chancellor Drake and Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Michael R. Gottfredson, UC Irvine;

•    Michael A. Mussallem, Chairman and CEO, Edwards Lifesciences Corporation;

•    Hensel Phelps Construction Company and their subcontractors;

•    Executive architect, Carrier Johnson;

•    Concept architect, Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum, Inc.;

•    UC Irvine campus architect, Rebekah G. Gladson;

•    Design and Construction Services, UC Irvine;

•    The Office of Capital Planning and the Office of Planning and Budget, UC Irvine

•    Elias Bordcosh, director of facilities for the Samueli School;

•    Nicolaos G. Alexopoulos, former engineering dean, and Janice M. Holstein, former engineering assistant dean for planning and administration; and

•    Agilent Technologies, who helped the School equip the new teaching laboratories in Engineering Hall



During his closing remarks, Bras shared, “This new building, the Edwards Lifesciences Center, and the support of friends like you will make it possible to carry-out our mission and reach our vision - to be one of the best engineering schools …anywhere.  We are ready to reach new levels, to compete with the very best.  Thank you for your support and for sharing this great occasion with The Henry Samueli School of Engineering family.”



Following the evening remarks, Drake was joined by Gottfredson, Bras, Mussallem, Mazzo, Dr. Henry Samueli, the School’s namesake and co-founder of Broadcom Corporation, and Alexopoulos, for the formal ribbon-cutting ceremony, officially dedicating Engineering Hall and the Edwards Lifesciences Center.

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