Published: March 24, 2023

Where Brains and Beauty Meet

Innovation shines in UT’s newest showcase space, the tech side of the Jenkins Health and Technology Building

By Holly Neumann 

A living wall calms and invigorates the energy around the lobby of the Technology building. The moss is already growing and spreading, a metaphor for the constant change of today’s technological world. Photograph by Marc Vaughn 

OPEN FOR BUSINESS

The Technology side of the Jenkins Health and Technology Building opened in Fall 2022. It is a striking symbol of UT’s investment in premier educational infrastructure and its commitment to producing a workforce ready for the economy’s growing tech sector. The building houses many of the academic programs related to information technology, including cybersecurity, computer science and management information systems, as well as state-of-the-art equipment and tools that support student success. 

Ethical hacking is a key learning strategy for UT cybersecurity students. Photograph by Marc Vaughn

WHERE LEARNING STOPS BEING ALL THEORY ... AND STARTS GETTING REAL

Engaging classroom experiences in the Technology building bring applied learning to life for UT students.

Computer science students study how networks work, learn to detect server traffic patterns and work from prototype to production in spaces like the 500-square-foot maker space, shown at right.

Cybersecurity students monitor networks, respond to simulated cyber attacks and participate in competitions in specialized labs. In the Security Operations Center, above, students use cutting-edge tools and work with live network and end-user data.

Isolated servers like the one shown at the bottom right allow cybersecurity students to experiment, challenge each other and get real-world experience through academic partnerships and industry sponsorships.

“In a lot of ways, this building is what allows for the computer science program to exist,” said department chair Jean Gourd. “Most computer science programs don’t have facilities like this or students creating things like ours do.”

How big is the Jenkins Health and Technology Building? 191,000 square feet!

Students build, break and fix through hands-on learning. Photographs by Marc Vaughn

STUDY IN STYLE

Unique study nooks are found throughout the building. Some are out in the open, good for students who prefer a little noise, and others are tucked away on quieter hallways, providing the perfect getaway to cram before a test. The settings were planned with students in mind: Whether it’s a booth for two, a pod that can hold a group, or a table for one, brainstorming abounds and innovation thrives where students find their comfort zone.

“The spaces are very popular,” says Katrina Coughlin ’25.

Spaces encourage contemplation and collaboration. Photographs: Bob Thompson and Marc Vaughn

SENSORY APPEAL ALL AROUND

The new building is full of gorgeous textures and patterns that harken to tech’s past, relish the present and herald the future.

The furniture has a modern look and feel, complete with sturdy, tweed-like upholstery. And in a subtle nod to how far technology has come, Morse code spells out “technology” on the walls of hallway study carrels. No space is left uninspired   — even the walls sport space-age graphics, living greenery, shiny pixels and 3D waves. 

The new building is full of gorgeous textures and patterns. Photographs: Bob Thompson and Marc Vaughn

CLASS IS IN SESSION

The Technology building is home to 165 faculty and staff offices.

Some of the 20 classrooms in the Technology building are equipped with built-in computers and monitors, like the one above, and others are traditional bring-your-own-screen spaces. Either way, all the classrooms are busy. This semester, 230-course sections are scheduled in the building, with more than 5,000 students on those rosters. Only Plant Hall and Sykes College of Business see more traffic. Students can also log into remote class sessions in the building, taking advantage of dedicated rooms, like the one shown above, right, and the building’s zoomy-fast Wi-Fi.

This semester, 230 course sections are scheduled in the building, with more than 5,000 students on those rosters. Photographs: Bob Thompson and Marc Vaughn

GET READY TO GET HIRED 

The Advanced Digital Literacy Center, pictured below, is where students brush up on technical skills, enhance their online safety knowledge and enroll in industry-specific training from vendor partners like Adobe, Microsoft and Cisco, which come to campus to offer classes and certifications.

The Advanced Digital Literacy Center is where students brush up on technical skills, enhance their online safety knowledge and enroll in industry-specific training from vendor partners. Photograph by Jessica Leigh

A SPACE TO SEE AND BE SEEN

The Jenkins Skyview Room, on the sixth-floor sky bridge between the Health and Technology buildings, is a stunning, light-filled space. The room is noted for its acoustics and a media wall where screens can be linked to play multimedia presentations. A 45-foot-tall wall of windows provides expansive views of the campus and downtown, bringing inside the beauty of the outdoors. At night, hundreds of handblown globe "firefly" lights that hang from the curvilinear walnut ceiling illuminate the room and enchant Sykes Plaza below.

Howard and Patricia Jenkins are longtime donors and supporters of The University of Tampa. The Jenkins Health and Technology Building is only their latest major contribution. The adjoining Health side, connected by the sky bridge, houses graduate and health studies and is a tech and design marvel in its own right.

The Jenkins Skyview Room, on the sixth-floor sky bridge between the Health and Technology buildings, is a stunning, light-filled space. Photograph by Marc Vaughn

ART TO INSPIRE AND DELIGHT

The Technology building features 77 original works by artist Sara Conca, three of which grace the Jenkins Skyview Room. Conca’s art incorporates unconventional and radiant materials such as raw silver dust, 18k gold leafing, raw color pigments, mica flakes, natural crystals and unusual elements such as crushed BB pellets. Angelic Realm is pictured below, photographed by Marc Vaughn.