Groundbreaking Set for Harris Center for Science and Engineering
MELBOURNE, FLA. — Florida Institute of Technology will break ground for the 27,000-square-foot Harris Center for Science and Engineering on May 20 at 11 a.m.
The public is welcome to attend the event, which will be just south of the fountain on the south campus near the F.W. Olin Physical Sciences Building.
Among those officiating at the groundbreaking will be Florida Tech President Anthony J. Catanese; Harris Corporation Chairman, President and CEO Howard L.
Lance; and President and CEO of the Community Foundation of Brevard Gary F. Lang.
Funding of $5 million for the center from the Harris Corporation Charitable Fund, held by the Community Foundation of Brevard (CFB), was announced in
January. The university’s already substantial reputation in information assurance served as a catalyst for the gift.
The three-story building was designed by the Harper Aiken Donahue & Partners Architecture Inc.
The third floor of the building will house the Harris Institute for Assured Information, which includes office space, computer laboratories and a multi-use
media presentation area. The second floor will be divided between computer science and biology laboratories, and offices. The first floor contains offices,
classrooms and laboratories for marine biology and aquaculture programs of the Department of Biological Sciences.
The new building further strengthens the partnership between Florida Tech and Harris Corp., which dates to the university’s founding 50 years ago. Both the
company and the university have a proven track record in the security space and the expertise for a successful collaboration.
Florida Tech’s existing Information Assurance Center in the College of Engineering is under the leadership of Richard Ford, as will be the new center. The
current center is already recognized for its work and numerous government and national foundation contracts.
Harris Corporation is one of the largest companies focused strictly on assured communications and information technology.
