About the Houlne Center for Convergent Technology
With support from the state, city, and county, as well as contributions from industry partners, foundations, and private donors, sufficient funds were raised to complete construction and furnish the building with equipment with no need for bonding. Early on, the MWSU Foundation supplied funding to assist the University with the planning phases of the project. Ground was broken on July 11, 2023 and the building is on schedule to ready to begin offering instruction in the Fall of 2024, when the ribbon cutting is anticipated.
The Center owes its new name to tech entrepreneur, futurist, best-selling author and philanthropist, Tim Houlne, who graduated from Missouri Western in 1986 with a degree in business. In July 2024, he generously contributed the third largest outright gift in the University’s history by committing $3 million to the Center’s operating funds. Houlne is the CEO of Dallas-based Humach, Inc., a company which provides innovative customer experience solutions for business using AI and automation technology.
A broad range of industrial partners provided valuable technical input on the building’s construction and initial equipment selection. The 20,000 square foot building, which houses applied labs, will be accompanied by a 10,000 square foot equipment storage facility. Over $2 million in industry-grade lab equipment is available for teaching and workforce training.
The Center aims to provide a range of pathways to technology-focused professional education in high demand careers. The educational offerings supported by the Center can serve students graduating from high school, completing a technical school education, returning to school from the workforce, or companies seeking to strengthen the skills of their existing workers.
