The renovation of the University of Alabama in Huntsville’s Bevill Center is one step closer to reality.

UAH received Stage II approval from the University of Alabama (UA) System Board of Trustees for the renovation of the building, advancing the Center for Cybersecurity Research, Education and Advanced Training, the university announced in a news release Thursday.

The Alabama State Legislature voted to appropriate $34.4 million of state supplemental funds toward the project. The project is expected to be completed in approximately two years, subject to further approvals of the UA System Board of Trustees.

The project was one of three major UAH facilities projects considered during the Board’s meeting last Friday on the campus

The project will renovate 45,000 square feet of space on the first and second floors of the Bevill Center into a new interdisciplinary research and academic facility for the UAH Center for Cybersecurity Research, Education and Advanced Training.

It will expand the research capabilities of the Center for Cybersecurity Research and Education (CCRE) and meet the growing needs for a wide variety of cybersecurity-related disciplines, the university said.

The Board’s Stage II approval encompasses the revised project scope and budget and allows UAH to hire an owner’s representative firm. Stage I approval was granted in 2023.

“Thank you to Chairman Arthur Orr, Chairman Danny Garrett, and the members of the Madison County legislative delegation for their commitment to UAH,” UAH President Charles L. Karr said. “Huntsville has long been a leader in cybersecurity, and UAH has played a key role in advancing research and educating both students and professionals in this critical field. This project will ensure that our students are prepared to meet the workforce needs of the future and will benefit not only north Alabama but also the entire state and nation.”

UAH holds the designations National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense as well as National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Research, both awarded by the National Security Agency in cooperation with its federal partners.

The CCRE leads a four-university nationwide coalition to advance cybersecurity education through Virtual Internship and Varied Innovative Demonstrations, a three-year program funded by a $3.2 million grant from the Department of Defense.

“The new Bevill Center will be a true hub for cybersecurity and computer science education and research,” said Thomas Morris, CCRE director.

“We anticipate space for computing and cybersecurity classrooms, faculty offices and faculty research labs as well as space for external companies partnered with UAH on research. The entire CCRE will be in one building with modern informal meeting and study spaces. That gives UAH cybersecurity students an amazing opportunity to go to class, conduct cybersecurity research work, and study with their friends – all in one building.”

Bringing the two halves of CCRE – the CCRE Department of Education, Training and Outreach and the CCRE Research and Development teams – together in one building is a significant step forward for the program, the university said.

“Working side by side will unleash new levels of creativity and innovation that allows CCRE to continue to help our corporate and federal partners to draw the best minds into the cybersecurity profession and to solve the hard problems in cybersecurity,” Morris said.