UAF photos by Sierra Coley

Nestled between the Duckering and Bunnell buildings, the six-story Joseph E. Usibelli Engineering Learning and Innovation Building features a 48-foot high bay for tall projects, a strong floor for testing extremely heavy items, a cold room, classrooms and 40 laboratories. Load frames installed in the high bay in November 2025 allow researchers to simulate stress on buildings, utilities and other infrastructure.

The Usibelli Building has 119,000 square feet of floor space, and, during construction, another 30,000 square feet in the Duckering Building was renovated. Schaible Auditorium, formerly a part of the Bunnell Building, is now accessible through the Usibelli Building lobby. The building’s exterior is mainly glass and steel. It meets the silver standard set by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program.

Construction began on April 1, 2013, and  the building was expected to be finished by fall 2015. However, the initial state funding was insufficient to complete the job, and work on the facility stopped in August 2015. With help from private donors, more state funding and a revenue bond, the university by 2016 had enough money to finish the job. The first classes in the building were held in January 2018.

On Aug. 4, 2022, the university named the building after Joseph E. Usibelli, a 1959 graduate who became president of Usibelli Coal Mine in Healy five years later. He served as president until 1987, when he turned over the position to his son. He remained as board chairman until his death in May 2022. Support from the Usibelli family and mine helped finish construction of the building. Usibelli also contributed to numerous other university initiatives.