Research in Motion Posted on June 3, 2015June 3, 2015 by Alexander Shun UWM is well on its way to becoming a top-tier research university. On Oct. 24, 2012, UWM broke ground on its first major academic construction project in nearly 20 years, beginning construction on the five-story, 150,000 square foot, Kenwood Interdisciplinary Research Complex located on the corner of Kenwood Boulevard and Maryland Avenue. It is now 2015, and the complex is finally being completed and is expected to be opened fall of this year. The $80 million building will be a huge step toward UWM’s goal of becoming a top-tier research university, according to Chancellor Mark Mone. “We will be a top-tier research university that is the best place to learn and work for students, faculty and staff, and that is a leading driver for sustainable economic prosperity,” Mone says. “We will accomplish this through a commitment to excellence, powerful ideas, community and global engagement, and collaborative partnerships.” Engineering student Emily Kuthpal says that they don’t need to wait for the building’s completion to start achieving their research goals, noting the number of great projects already happening around UWM. “We’ve got scientists and researchers here working on sensors that can monitor a water’s quality from the lake until it is drank,” Kuthpal says. “We’ve got researchers looking at the positive effects of music on people with dementia, researchers studying three dimensional printing of prosthetic limbs for people, and some researchers studying the effects that huge, woody vines have on tropical rainforests.” Kuthpal says that the research future for UWM is very bright, and she is excited to be a part of it. “Now,” Kuthpal says, “I just have to wait for that building to open so I can do some great research myself.”