UNG launches bold vision for future of STEM

Georgia Labor Commissioner Bárbara Rivera Holmes connected the project to the state's history while pointing toward its future.

"The richest thing in these hills was never the metal. It was the people who came to dig it out," Holmes said. "That has not changed in 200 years, except now we are mining something new. We are mining talent, and this building is the mine."

She added that while many people see a new building taking shape, she sees something much larger.

"Georgia's next generation of scientists, engineers, coders, and problem-solvers will spend four years on problems no one has yet solved and likely on problems no one yet knows are coming," Holmes said.

University System of Georgia Regent Tim Evans said the project represents the direction higher education must continue to move.

"This is not simply a building filled with laboratories and classrooms," Evans said. "It's a place of intention designed to bring disciplines together, encourage curiosity, foster collaboration, and give students hands-on experience that prepares them to solve world challenges and problems. That is what the University of North Georgia has become known for."