New Gift from Skanska USA Building Provides Strong Start for Integrative Sciences Building Construction

A generous gift from Skanska USA Building Incorporated provides a strong start to funding for NC State’s Integrative Sciences Building.

The $125,000 founding commitment, made under the leadership of Executive Vice President and General Manager Mark Balling, will name Laboratory Rooms 169/171 in the building that will transform the sciences at NC State. An official groundbreaking ceremony took place in September 2023.

A History of Generosity

We’re proud to be a partner of NC State for so many years,” said Balling. Balling’s colleagues Mark Collins (CE ’88) and Mary Beth Russo (CE ‘09) lead Skanska’s work on the Integrative Sciences Building.

Skanska previously established a scholarship endowment to support undergraduate students enrolled in Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, and has provided support for the NC State University Libraries, particularly Hunt Library. In 2019, Skanska gave a gift in support of Fitts-Woolard Hall. Now, Skanska’s gift in support of the Integrative Sciences Building project is in recognition of Skanska’s unwavering support of the University and of future generations. Skanska’s gift also honors the Construction Team for the Integrative Sciences Building.

“The Integrative Sciences Building will help us set a standard of excellence in higher education,” said Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Warwick Arden. “Thanks to Skanska, we are able to continue and build upon our momentum toward this goal.”

Building the Future

The new $180 million building will provide vital space for STEM teaching and research at NC State, and will serve as a catalyst for transforming the sciences. It is the home — and the heart — of the Integrative Sciences Initiative, which will transform teaching, research and discovery in chemistry and other STEM fields at NC State by employing the latest technology, solving major societal challenges and training a new generation of interdisciplinary scientists.

“What we’re able to accomplish within the ISB will help advance STEM education and encourage extensive cooperation across disciplines on campus,” said Joshua Pierce, executive director of the Integrative Sciences Initiative. “I look forward to the innovative interdisciplinary teaching and student training in Skanska’s laboratory space.”
Skanska USA Building’s generosity will be recognized with a named space, Laboratory 169/171 in the ISB. This space will be marked with signage noting that Laboratory 169/171 is the Skanska Lab, Made possible by Skanska USA Building. This naming is for a term of 20 years. The founding contribution will also be recognized at the building’s dedication.

About Skanska USA 

The global construction firm Skanska has operated in North Carolina since 1918 and leverages a culture centered around safety, innovation and inclusivity to shape the way we live, work and connect within our community. Skanska’s relationship with NC State is evident across campus. The company has played an integral role as the construction manager for the construction of four well-known buildings at NC State: James B. Hunt Jr. Library, Engineering Building III, Fitts-Woolard Hall, and the Integrative Sciences Building.

Skanska uses knowledge & foresight to shape the way people live, work, and connect. More than 135 years in the making, we’re one of the world’s largest development and construction companies. We operate in select markets throughout the Nordics, Europe and the United States. Skanska in the U.S. is headquartered in New York City with 29 offices around the country. In 2022, construction in the U.S. generated $6.9 billion in revenue, and as a developer in the U.S., Skanska has invested a total of $3.5 billion in commercial and multi-family projects. Together with our customers and the collective expertise of our 6,500 teammates in the U.S. and 28,000 globally, we create innovative and sustainable solutions that support healthy living beyond our lifetime.

This post was originally published in Provost's Office News.