Michigan Technological University broke ground Friday, Oct. 2, on the Chang K. Park Center for Student Wellness, a centralized hub that will bring comprehensive student well-being services together on campus.
Members of the Michigan Tech community gathered at the future site of the Chang K. Park Center for Student Wellness on Friday, Oct. 2, for a ceremony marking the project's transition from planning to construction.
The groundbreaking came less than a year after Michigan Tech's Board of Trustees approved construction of the center in December 2025. The approximately 78,400-square-foot facility will bring together wellness services and resources currently located across more than 30 locations on campus. Located between the University's Memorial Union and Administration buildings, the center is expected to open in fall 2028.
The ceremony featured remarks from Michigan Tech President Rick Koubek; alumnus and philanthropist Chang K. Park '73; Michigan Rep. Greg Markkanen; Jon Jipping, chair of the Michigan Tech Board of Trustees; Laura Bulleit, vice president for student affairs; and Bill Roberts, vice president for advancement and alumni engagement. Following the program, Park and University leaders joined board members and representatives from Findorff and Perkins&Will, the project's construction and design partners, to turn the first ceremonial shovels of dirt.
"Chang K. Park's vision for a comprehensive student wellness center represents a transformative moment for the student experience at Michigan Tech."
"As one of the first facilities of its kind in the nation, it will serve as a cornerstone of our campus and herald a new era in student health and wellness at Michigan Tech. We are honored to celebrate this momentous occasion alongside Mr. Park and our university community, and we look forward to the grand opening in 2028," said Koubek.
The center's construction is fully funded by a $55 million gift from Park, the largest individual gift in University history.
Park graduated from Michigan Tech in 1973 with dual degrees in electrical engineering and engineering administration. After immigrating to the United States from Korea as a teenager, he attended high school in New York City while navigating the challenges of learning a new language and adapting to a new culture. Park went on to build a career spanning engineering and international finance and founded Universal Remote Control Inc., a global home automation and control systems company. Guided by his commitment to education, human rights and economic justice, he also established the Chang K. Park Foundation to reduce human suffering and expand opportunities for people to reach their full potential.
"It is my hope that what students learn and experience, and the healthy attitudes they develop at the center, will stay with them for the rest of their lives and help them become significant contributing members of our society."
"We still enjoy classical music composed more than 200 years ago. It gives me great pleasure to think about Michigan Tech students enjoying and benefiting from the facility we are about to build for many years to come," said Park.
A Central Home for Student Well-being
With an ethos of "Benevolence to All," the Chang K. Park Center for Student Wellness is designed around the four pillars of Michigan Tech's Be Well Initiative: Live Well, Play Well, Connect Well and Recharge Well.
The building's spaces and programming will reflect all four pillars. Areas for clinical counseling, therapy, telehealth and medical care will support Live Well, while a large fitness and exercise floor with equipment for students of all skill levels will advance Play Well. Communal areas, group rooms and a welcoming campus "living room" will support Connect Well by giving students places to gather. Quiet lounges, rooms for meditation and prayer, and other restorative spaces will provide opportunities to Recharge Well.
The center will also include instructional areas, locker rooms, group training rooms, outreach and prevention offices, and accessible wellness amenities throughout the building. Bringing these resources together in one campus location will support a more integrated approach to student well-being while making services more visible and accessible.
"The new Chang K. Park Center for Student Wellness will be transformational not only for our students, but also for our campus infrastructure and programming models," said Bulleit. "I am incredibly grateful to Mr. Park for providing us the opportunity to further our commitment to the overall health, well-being and success of our students."
The project builds on Michigan Tech's demonstrated commitment to integrated student care, wellness programming and mental health support. The University was one of 30 institutions nationwide named to The Princeton Review's 2026 Mental Health Services Honor Roll.
Following the Center's Progress
Visit the Chang K. Park Center for Student Wellness web page for construction updates, project information and architectural renderings. A construction webcam will also provide a live view of progress at the site.
Michigan Technological University is an R1 public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, and is home to nearly 7,500 students from more than 60 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigan's flagship technological university offers more than 185 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, computing, forestry, business, health professions, robotics, psychology, social sciences, humanities, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.
