HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. — The sound of construction is echoing across Northern Kentucky University's campus, signaling significant growth and investment in the school's future.
"It makes me excited, honestly. It really shows that this university cares about its students," said Collin Jarrell, student body president at NKU.
Jarrell, a senior majoring in general business, has witnessed the university's transformation firsthand when a new welcome center opened last fall. Now, an $86 million expansion project for the Herrmann Science Center is scheduled for completion in 2027.
"Seeing the new science center coming in, having all kinds of lab spaces for my friends who are in those science programs, makes me super excited for them," Jarrell said.
University leaders said the expansion isn't just about the buildings, but about attracting students, strengthening the region and preparing for what's next.
WATCH: How NKU is enhancing student experience through new expansion projects
"To be able to have modern, brand new labs and research facilities, for example, for our engineering, technology, our biological sciences, that's going to set our students apart when they go out into the workforce," said Ryan Padgett, chief strategic enrollment management officer at NKU.
Padgett said NKU is competing with other universities across the Tri-State region. In the fall, NKU implemented a "3 States, 1 Rate" tuition model for students in Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana to attract more students.
Tuesday, they broke ground on a new state-of-the-art tennis center.
"The tennis complex is going to be able to expand our tennis program, which has been growing in both men's and women's, so this is going to be huge for us ... it allows us to have that engagement with our athletic teams," Padgett said.
These projects are all part of the university's 2020 master plan, which includes what they hope the university will look like 10 years from now.
"It makes you really excited to see what the future has in store," Jarrell said.
