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Utah State University seeks $28.5 million for MAIDAC math/AI/data building
Summary
Utah State University President (Cantwell) presented a request for $28.5 million in one‑time legislative funding to renovate and expand a historic building into a Math, AI, Data, and Analytics Center (MAIDAC); total estimated cost $46.5 million with $18 million in dedicated funds already available.
President Cantwell of Utah State University outlined a legislative request for a new MAIDAC building — the Math, AI, Data and Analytics Center — during the Feb. 3 Transportation and Infrastructure Appropriations Subcommittee meeting. She said the project will convert and expand a historic animal science building to provide teaching, research labs and collaborative space that integrate data and AI across disciplines. "So MAIDAC rolls off the tongue easily. It means nothing, but it's really an acronym for math, AI, data, and analytics," the presenter said.
The university described the MAIDAC project as a teaching‑and‑learning facility focused on embedding data and computing across disciplines, including humanities and arts, with plans for public lectures, workshops and a student-focused data science incubator. Presenters emphasized applied learning and industry partnerships.
Utah State gave a cost and funding breakdown: total estimated project cost $46,500,000; $18,000,000 in dedicated funding already available; a one‑time legislative ask of $28,500,000; and an ongoing operating and maintenance request of $286,000 annually. The presenter said this project was the only degree‑granting institution building project approved this year through the Utah Board of Higher Education process to pursue legislative funding.
Committee members, including Senator Riebe and Senator Wilson, responded positively and asked questions about AI, historic preservation, and timeline. No formal committee action on the MAIDAC funding request was recorded in the meeting transcript.
