Innovation at Rose-Hulman reached new heights and a significant construction milestone when a steel beam was raised and attached to complete the highest point of the new Rose-Hulman Ventures building on Thursday, February 19. The project — the first phase of the $102 million Innovation Grove vision — is set to be completed in December of this year.

The whir of equipment made way for cheers from the construction crew as the beam — adorned with the colorful signatures of Rose-Hulman students, faculty, and staff — clanked into place, bearing an American flag, a Rose-Hulman flag, and, per tradition, an evergreen tree symbolizing safe completion of this phase and a wish for prosperity in the next. The ceremonial placing of the highest beam represents the 166,000 pounds of steel constituting the 35,000 square foot facility, with additional steel beams to be added in future weeks to complete the building’s infrastructure.

Though an official topping out ceremony and celebration was cancelled due to inclement weather, the sun peeked through the clouds just as the beam reached its pinnacle, a shining emblem of the bright innovations the building will soon house.

Once complete, the building will serve as a new home for Rose-Hulman Ventures, currently located approximately six miles from the main campus. For more than two decades, Rose-Hulman Ventures has turned real-world client ideas into game-changing and lifesaving technology.

“Bringing Ventures to the campus — and anchoring Innovation Grove — amplifies the potential for future impact,” said Rose-Hulman President Robert A. Coons. “It strengthens the connection between academic discovery, entrepreneurial thinking, and community engagement.”

Coons added, “With catalytic support from Lilly Endowment and the generosity of many partners and donors, we are creating a space designed not only for collaboration, but for long-term regional growth and opportunity alongside our partners in Union Health and the Indiana Orthopedic Institute.”

A multipurpose space within the new building will also be available to host community events, student showcases, and engineering competitions with local schools and organizations.

Construction on the Innovation Grove site began in late 2024. Designed for maximum programmatic flexibility and student hands-on experience, the Rose-Hulman Ventures building will feature a highly efficient geothermal energy system providing all-electric heating and cooling.

“It feels especially fitting on an engineering campus that innovation here extends beyond what we see and deep into the ground itself,” said Lance Gassert, chief operating officer of Garmong Construction, the construction manager, and a 2005 Rose-Hulman civil engineering alumnus. Gassert, whose son will start at Rose-Hulman in the fall, noted that the project and the innovation it enables is especially meaningful to him.

“Rose-Hulman helped shape my career and my values, and it’s incredibly rewarding to help deliver a space that will support the next generation of innovators, entrepreneurs, and problem solvers,” he said.

The first of its kind in higher education, Innovation Grove is envisioned as a transformative district dedicated to advancing entrepreneurship, innovative education, and health care. Utilizing a grant of $30.5 million from the Lilly Endowment as the impetus, combined with other federal, state, and local funding as well as philanthropic support, Innovation Grove will also feature a state-of-the-art ambulatory surgical center, a large-scale solar farm, and new walking and biking trails connecting campus and community.

Learn more and follow the latest progress at rhit.edu/innovationgrove.