Penn Trustees approve design for the Vagelos Laboratory for Energy Science and Technology

The Vagelos Laboratory for Energy Science and Technology has received design approval from the University of Pennsylvania Board of Trustees. The new $173 million facility at 3200 Walnut Street will consolidate existing and emerging energy research programs by providing 110,000 square feet of state-of-the-art laboratory space. The building is a key element of the School of Arts & Sciences’ strategic plan and the University’s commitment to advancing research in energy and sustainability.

The project has been made possible through gifts totaling $70 million to the School of Arts & Sciences from P. Roy Vagelos, a Penn alumnus, and his wife, Diana T. Vagelos. This support included a gift in 2019 of $50 million. An additional gift of $20 million earlier this year has allowed the building’s design to expand from six to seven stories. The project expansion will provide space to accommodate continued growth of the energy research program and enable additional faculty hires in the future.

“We are so grateful to Roy and Diana for their enduring support of Penn’s groundbreaking research in the area of energy research and sustainable energy solutions,” said Penn President Amy Gutmann. “Their tremendous generosity and trust in Penn’s collaborative approach, bringing Penn’s world-renowned physical scientists and engineers together to solve scientific and technological problems related to alternative sources of energy and energy use and storage, is a testament to Penn leadership and innovation in seeking a sustainable future.”