How about a building that helped launch the digital age? That’s the Merrill Engineering Building. It stands as a testament to innovation. It is located right here on the University of Utah campus.
The Merrill Engineering Building also known as the MEB has a rich history. Its story began with Joseph F. Merrill. He was the first principal of the College of Engineering. The building proudly bears his name.
Construction of the Merrill Engineering Building concluded in 1960. It became the central hub for engineering studies. That was until the Warnock Engineering Building opened.
Now, let’s venture below the surface. Twenty-five feet underground sits a TRIGA nuclear reactor. It is housed within a double-wall tank filled with water. This reactor has been operational since 1975. It serves as a valuable resource for research.
The Merrill Engineering Building houses important departments. The School of Computing calls it home. The Electrical and Computer Engineering Department resides here. The Chemical Engineering Department also occupies space in the MEB.
Within these walls, students access classrooms. They work in student labs. They collaborate in student work areas. The Merrill Engineering Building provides space for learning.
The College of Engineering has produced many successful companies. TRW. Evans and Sutherland. Silicon Graphics. Netscape. WordPerfect. Sarcos. Opto 22. Novell. Atari. Adobe. Pixar. These were all founded by college graduates and faculty.
The first four-year engineering degree was introduced in 1895. Richard Lyman organized the first Department of Engineering in 1896. The College has awarded nearly 24000 engineering degrees over the years. Many alumni have gained international recognition.
Joseph F. Merrill served as dean from 1897 to 1928. Richard B. Ketchum followed from 1928 to 1939. Albert L. Taylor then took the role from 1939 to 1952.
Samuel S. Kistler was dean from 1952 to 1965. Max L. Williams led from 1965 to 1973. Wayne S. Brown served from 1973 to 1978. Laurence H. Lattman was dean from 1978 to 1983. Joseph D. Andrade served from 1983 to 1987. David W. Pershing was dean from 1987 to 1998. Gerald B. Stringfellow followed from 1998 to 2003. Richard B. Brown became dean in 2004.
The University of Utah was an original node on ARPANET. This was the precursor to the Internet. The university’s computer graphics department linked with Stanford in 1969. This completed the initial four-node network.
The School of Computing made key contributions. Gouraud shading. The Phong reflection model. The Phong shading method. The rendering equation. These innovations came from here.
The Merrill Engineering Building stands as a symbol of progress. Its classrooms, labs, and reactor continue to foster innovation.