Seton Hall University has announced plans to renovate the first floor of Corrigan Hall, beginning in spring 2026. The renovation will transform former Information Technology office spaces into new research and instructional laboratories, including a semiconductor plasma processing lab and an optics/laser lab. These facilities are intended to support teaching and research in applied physics, engineering, and related STEM fields.
The project is funded in part by nearly $1 million from a federal grant through the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). This funding will expand Seton Hall’s instrumentation infrastructure for studying low-temperature plasmas used in manufacturing semiconductors. Such research is relevant for microchip fabrication and other microelectronics applications.
Interim Provost Erik Lillquist stated, “This renovation is a long-term investment in the spaces where students and faculty research, teach and learn. By updating laboratories and creating facilities that mirror industry and advanced research settings, the project furthers the University’s commitment to providing transformative student experiences and driving academic innovation and research that address real-world challenges.”
The new labs will allow both undergraduate and graduate students from physics, chemistry, applied science, and engineering programs to engage with technologies common in the microelectronics sector. Jose Lopez, director of the Office of Grants and Research Services at Seton Hall University, said: “The facilities will allow students to work with the tools and technologies common in microelectronics and nanofabrication industries.”
Lopez further explained how faculty expertise would contribute across all stages of semiconductor development: “My expertise is in low-temperature plasmas, which enables the processing and eventual fabrication of microchips and other semiconductor devices. Professor Sahiner is an expert in characterizing new semiconductor materials; understanding how the materials change after processing and how the different new materials can be used. All this is then bridged by Professor Ouyang’s expertise on the integration and development into actual microchips and other microelectronic devices.”
Both planned laboratories will operate as clean labs with strict protocols to maintain controlled environments necessary for sensitive experiments.
Jonathan Farina, dean of the College of Arts & Sciences at Seton Hall University said: “Corrigan Hall’s renovation strengthens Seton Hall’s physics and engineering programs by creating new research and learning facilities for students in high-demand STEM fields. The new labs with industry-aligned equipment will provide more students the kinds of hands-on experiences that Seton Hall is committed to providing, and they do so at a pivotal moment in the growing fields of computer engineering, materials science, green energy and more.”
Construction activities are scheduled to start January 2026 with completion expected by September 2026. Other classrooms or offices within Corrigan Hall are not expected to be affected during this period.
In addition to first-floor upgrades, office space on Corrigan Hall’s lower level will also be renovated following relocation of select IT services due to creation of an Innovation Hub within Walsh Library. Beginning next semester, campus community members can visit Walsh Library’s Solutions Studio for assistance with laptops or university technology issues.
