This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

ATHENS, Ala. (WHNT) – Future STEM educators studying at Athens State University will soon have access to a new space that will further help their education.

University officials and Northrop Grumman representatives celebrated the grand opening of the institution’s new STEM learning lab on Thursday. University officials say this building means a lot.

“We’re honored and touched that a local company would invest in education in this way,” Athens State University College of Education Dean Lee Vartaninan told News 19. “Northrop Grumman’s generous donation will help our students become better teachers. They, in turn, will spread wonderful, engaged STEM learning to their students, and in the process will really turn their students into seeing themselves as future scientists.”

Athens State is one of the few Upper Division universities in the nation, meaning it is an ideal destination for students who may have paused their education and want to finish their degree.