The Innovation Lab at Grand Canyon University

Top 3 takeaways from GPEC’s ambassador asset tour: GCU

Published: 04/04/2018
Updated: 07/09/2020

From the Innovation Lab, Engineering Shop to the Learning Lounge, more than 40 GPEC Ambassadors embarked on a campus tour at Grand Canyon University (GCU) in Phoenix, AZ.

GCU President, Brian Mueller, gave a warm welcome to the Ambassadors and provided a brief overview of the university’s economic impact to the Greater Phoenix region and campus expansion plans. Once the overview was over, the Ambassadors hopped on mini golf carts and strolled around the campus for an interactive tour.

GCU_Brian Mueller

GCU President, Brian Mueller, giving GPEC Ambassadors the history and impact of GCU.

Here are the top three takeaways:

  1. Growing number of students. GCU has more than doubled the number of academic programs, growing from 130 in the fall 2013 semester to over 234 programs today. In the next five to seven years, the university expects enrollment on the ground campus to grow from 20,000 to 30,000 students.
  2. Major player in cybersecurity education. The Arizona Cyber Warfare Range (AZCWR) and GCU joined forces to open the Metro Phoenix location to drive innovation, revolutionary technological advancement and professional training for cybersecurity. The volunteer-run facility, at the GCU Innovation Center, is where anyone (not just GCU students) can drop by to practice skills like password cracking, keycard cloning or system hacking, all with the goal of fighting cybercriminals.
  3. State-of-the-art facilities dedicated to technology and engineering. More than 30 labs are available for students to experience hands-on learning using advanced technologies and cutting-edge equipment. Technology students have access to Cloud Lab, which creates a virtual environment where students learn hands-on by logging into a server and working via real-world scenarios.

It’s no doubt that GCU has undergone a type of renaissance over the years. With the university’s explosive growth, including their innovative science, engineering and technology programs, they are proactively working to improve the community and prepare the workforce of tomorrow. Interested in building a more vibrant economic future for the region? Learn more about the Ambassador Program.