As you walk past the construction of the new University of Maine engineering building, you may spot a small tree sticking out of the top of one of the support beams. This tree was inserted along with the final beam, which was signed by engineering students and faculty.
The Ferland Engineering Education and Design Center (Ferland EEDC) is the newest facility to be constructed on the Orono campus. It will have state-of-the-art labs and equipment, and will become the new hub of engineering at UMaine. It was paid for by a $78 million fundraising platform through the University of Maine Foundation, and is being named for E. James “Jim” Ferland of the class of ‘64 and Eileen P. Ferland, who provided a $10 million naming gift to the university.