UNT Dallas Unveils $100M STEM Facility to Address Healthcare Workforce Challenges » Dallas Innovates

UNT Dallas’ new STEM building [Image: UNT Dallas]

The University of North Texas at Dallas on Tuesday celebrated the opening of its new $100M STEM facility, designed to strengthen the region’s healthcare and science talent pipeline.

The 120,220-square-foot building, completed two years after its September 2023 groundbreaking, will welcome students when the Spring 2026 semester begins Jan. 12.

UNT Dallas officials called it “the most consequential addition to the UNT Dallas campus in university history.”

Ribbon cutting for UNT Dallas’ new $100 million STEM facility. [Photo: UNT Dallas]

“Today we celebrate opportunity—for our students, for employers across North Texas and for the communities we serve,” UNT Dallas President Dr. Warren von Eschenbach said in a statement. “This state-of-the-art STEM facility allows UNT Dallas to help meet urgent healthcare and workforce needs at a time when the demand for nurses and other practitioners continues to dramatically outpace supply.”

University leaders were joined by elected officials, healthcare partners, and community stakeholders, along with UNT Dallas students, for the dedication of the four-story complex. Speaking at the event were von Eschenbach; Dr. Michael Williams, Chancellor of the University of North Texas System; State Senator Royce West; and Isabelle Chung, a senior biology major who will graduate next month.

Addressing nursing and healthcare shortages

Touring UNT Dallas’ new $100 million STEM building. [Photo: UNT Dallas]

Texas continues to experience one of the largest nursing shortages in the country. According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, the state faces a deficit of more than 48,000 registered nurses in 2025, and it’s projected to grow to 50,000 by 2027 and 57,000 by 2032. The unmet demand for RNs will remain at about a 15% to 16% gap each year, with hospitals experiencing the greatest need. Additional statewide data shows 64% of Texas hospitals have reduced services due to staffing shortages.

The new STEM facility aims to address these challenges by expanding UNT Dallas’ capacity to train future healthcare professionals through accelerated pathways to medical and health careers, including nursing, dental, pharmacy, optometry, and other fields. These programs are offered in collaboration with UNT Health Fort Worth’s Colleges of Nursing and Pharmacy and the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine. The STEM program will be part of UNT Dallas’ School of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Preparing students for in-demand careers

The facility features 18 classrooms, 12 laboratories, including nine teaching labs and three research labs; a dedicated Joint Admission Medical Program (JAMP) office, multiple collaborative spaces, faculty offices, and a large event venue. The structure also features abundant natural light, energy-efficient design, and outdoor study areas that honor UNT Dallas’ Tree Campus USA designation. Programs housed in the building at launch include biology, chemistry, mathematics, and neuroscience.

Instruction is designed to prepare students for careers in medicine, nursing, pharmacy, dentistry, and optometry, and a robust STEM Pre-Health Professions Program will guarantee medical-school admission opportunities for eligible students, the university said.

Smaller class sizes and direct access to faculty will help students develop personalized academic roadmaps, supported by one-on-one mentorship for pre-health majors, many of them first-generation college students seeking access to stable, in-demand and well-paying careers, UNT Dallas said.

The building was designed by Stantec and HarrisonKornberg Architects, with Vaughn Construction serving as general contractor. Funding for the STEM facility was awarded by the Texas Legislature during the 2021 legislative session.

As the only public, four-year university located in the city of Dallas, UNT Dallas said it continues to expand access and upward mobility for its more than 3,500 students. The new STEM facility strengthens the university’s role in preparing career-ready professionals for high-demand healthcare and STEM fields, while supporting regional employers and advancing economic development in southern Dallas, the university said.

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