New Vision, New Facilities

Featuring flexible labs, collaboration hubs, an Innovation Zone, and multidisciplinary project spaces, the Sobrato Campus for Discovery and Innovation is one of the largest STEM education facilities in the country.

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COLLABORATE

Innovation happens when different skills and perspectives come together to solve complex problems.

With research neighborhoods for complementary departments literally built into the blueprint and collaborative project spaces throughout, the Sobrato Campus for Discovery and Innovation breaks down silos. Faculty and students are encouraged to ask questions, learn from each other, and find new approaches to research.

COLLABORATE

CONNECT

All of the resources of Silicon Valley come together here.

On-site research projects led by tech and life science companies, internship opportunities, workshops, and visiting scholars. Students start building contacts and gain professional experience as soon as they step foot on campus.

CONNECT

CREATE

This is a place where big ideas are explored and implemented.

SCDI brings scientific discovery from the fringes and showcases it in the center of campus with the Innovation Zone, Robotics Systems Lab, Latimer Energy Lab, Imaginarium virtual reality lab, and natural science labs—all outfitted with the latest equipment. Students are taught how to plan, act, and problem-solve with the end-user in mind.

CREATE

Why It Matters

Made possible by a $100 million gift from John A. ’60 and Susan Sobrato, the Sobrato Campus for Discovery and Innovation represents Santa Clara’s commitment to be a world-class leader in STEM education.

$300M

facility stocked with the latest equipment and resources

270K

square feet, making it one of the largest STEM facilities in the nation

85%

increase in undergraduate STEM enrollment at SCU over the past decade

1,446

classroom, teaching lab, and research lab seats

By bringing together experts from diverse disciplines and giving them the latest resources, SCDI changes the way we approach STEM education.

STEM at SCU

Man carefully smelling a glass of coffee

Perception Defined

An interdisciplinary team of students from the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science and the Department of Computer Science and Engineering work with Aromyx to help digitize taste and smell.

Illustration of Woman Scientist in laboratory

In the Lab

Biologist Terri Wrin ’79 has spent decades in the lab searching for ways to address some of the world’s deadliest viruses, starting with HIV and recently contributing research to COVID-19 vaccine development.

A virtual reality screengrab from a boat on the water

AdvocaSea

In the Imaginarium, Emily Dang ’20 (Computer Science and Engineering), Vicki Lim ’20 (Computer Science), Maggie Schulte ’21 (Computer Science), and Isabel Wu ’21 (Studio Art and Marketing) create a game exploring the multiple dimensions of marine sustainability.

Sam Bertram ’16, M.S. ’18

OnePointOne harnesses the efficiencies of machine learning and fully automated indoor farms to take on world hunger. Consider it the future of farming.

WATCH

The sun peeks through a tree in a scenic mountain photo

Signals from a Changing Planet

Scientists like Brody Sandel (Biology) and Christopher Bacon (Environmental Studies) can find the prints of human impact all over the environment. These trails lead to a climate-changed future. Could how we respond change everything?

Overnight Brains

The pandemic didn't keep Assistant Professor Lindsay Halladay from giving her neuroscience students the instruction they needed. Last year, Halladay led her students through the dissection of a lamb brain over Zoom.

Paul Abbyad holding a microfluidic device

Cell By Cell

Chemistry Associate Professor Paul Abbyad and a group of student researchers are hoping a new type of microfluidic device will help scientists learn more about the behavior of cancer cells.