Biola Extends Robotics Lead with Engineering Garage Groundbreaking

Key Facts

Engineering Garage and Robotics Hangar Groundbreaking Ceremony

September 18, 2026

Biola University, South Campus, La Mirada, California

Two facilities, more than 6,000 square feet combined (Engineering Garage: 2,690 sq ft; Robotics Hangar: 3,800 sq ft), funded by a gift announced at more than $40 million and now valued at about $62 million

Biola's B.S. in Robotics Engineering is one of only three such degrees offered by a Christian university nationally, and the only one on the West Coast

Biola University's School of Science, Technology and Health

President Barry Corey, Provost Matthew Hall, Dean Matthew Rouse, trustee Dr. Promod Haque, Associate Dean of Technology Yohan Lee, and students Jaran Mann and Mercy Peterson

Construction underway; both facilities scheduled to open to students in Spring 2027

Biola University broke ground September 18 on two new engineering facilities on its south campus, funded by the largest gift in the school's history. The Engineering Garage and Robotics Hangar open to students in Spring 2027. They will expand Biola's Robotics Engineering program, one of only three such bachelor's degrees at a Christian university nationally and the only one on the West Coast.

One Gift, Two Facilities

The Engineering Garage, at 2,690 square feet, holds a machine shop, a welding area and a bay for building Baja-style race vehicles. The Robotics Hangar, at 3,800 square feet, adds two classrooms and an open bay for drone testing and robotics work. Together, the two buildings total more than 6,000 square feet, funded by the largest gift in Biola's history, announced in October 2025 at more than $40 million from an unnamed Silicon Valley donor. The gift has since grown to about $62 million, held as stock.

Building Better People

Provost Matthew Hall opened with a prayer. Dean Matthew Rouse of the School of Science, Technology and Health also spoke, followed by President Barry Corey. "As impressive as this physical structure will be, Biola's goal is not ultimately about building better hardware or faster code," Corey said. "It's about building better people." He added that the industry needs more than technical skill. "The world desperately needs tech leaders who possess wisdom and integrity and redemptive purpose," Corey said.

A Trustee's View of Technology, Faith and AI

Dr. Promod Haque, a Biola trustee since 2007, spoke next. He traced a line through the history of technology and faith, from Noah's Ark to the Roman roads that carried the gospel, the printing press and the internet. He pointed to a present-day example: he and his wife support Global Media Outreach, an online ministry that has shared the gospel with 3.2 billion people and logged 328 million professions of faith. "God is a mighty user of technology," Haque said. "And now comes AI, and God's gonna use AI as well."

Students Already Building

Jaran Mann is a senior in Robotics Engineering. He founded the Biola Robotics Team from nothing after arriving in Fall 2023 to find no club existed. "I thought to myself, if there is no robotics club that I could join, I might as well make one myself," Mann said. The team won a 2025 statewide competition in its rookie year, then qualified for the VEX Robotics World Championship in Dallas. "With these hangars, we can expand greatly on all of our projects," Mann said, citing more room for drones and robotics projects.

Mercy Peterson, a senior in Engineering Physics, founded Biola's Society of Women Engineers chapter as a freshman. She said the new space closes a real gap. "This garage will provide a machine shop and state-of-the-art facilities so that our students get the opportunity to put their learning into practice," she said. She also named the weight of the work ahead. "Engineering has the potential to do great harm and great good," she said. "But may we be a people who, led by the Spirit, use the minds and gifts that God has given us for good. Any contractor can pour concrete for a machine shop. Deciding a club should exist before there is a room for it, and naming plainly what a technology can do for harm and for good, is not something money buys."

A humanoid robot programmed and piloted by Felicity Zhang, a junior in Business Administration, and Stefan Jungmichel, Crowell School of Business Assistant Director of AI Strategic Initiatives, participated in the ceremonial ground breaking as well and was a preview of what the hangar will produce.

What's Next

Full facility specs are posted at biola.edu. Prospective students can schedule a visit to see the build site in person. Preview Day is October 25 and 26.

See the Site at Preview Day: Schedule a Visit

Explore Engineering at Biola: B.S. in Engineering | B.S. in Robotics Engineering

Quick Answers

What is Biola's Engineering Garage and Robotics Hangar?

Two new facilities on Biola's south campus. The Engineering Garage is a 2,690-square-foot machine shop and vehicle bay. The Robotics Hangar is a 3,800-square-foot space with two classrooms and an open bay for drones and robotics.

When will the Engineering Garage and Robotics Hangar open?

Both facilities are scheduled to open to students in Spring 2027, following a groundbreaking ceremony held September 18, 2026.

What will students build in the new facilities?

Students will build and test racing vehicles, drones, robots and autonomous systems, work already underway informally through groups like the Biola Robotics Team.

Is Biola's Robotics Engineering degree rare among Christian universities?

Yes. Biola is one of only three Christian universities nationally with a standalone B.S. in Robotics Engineering, and the only one on the West Coast. The new Engineering Garage and Robotics Hangar are built to support that program as it grows.

Are Biola engineering and robotics students producing real work before graduation?

Yes. Biola's Robotics Team, founded from scratch by senior Jaran Mann in 2023, won a 2025 statewide competition in its rookie year and qualified for the VEX Robotics World Championship in Dallas. Mercy Peterson founded Biola's Society of Women Engineers chapter as a freshman. Both students spoke at the September 18 groundbreaking about work their teams had already started before the new facilities existed.

Is Biola's gift for the new facilities already being used?

Yes. The gift, announced in October 2025 as the largest in Biola's history at more than $40 million and now valued at about $62 million, is funding construction of the Engineering Garage and Robotics Hangar on Biola's south campus. The two facilities total more than 6,000 square feet and are scheduled to open to students in Spring 2027.