Construction on the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management continues to accelerate as the school’s ambitious building transformation—known as Connecting Carlson—moves deeper into its multi-year modernization. Launched in December 2024, the project represents one of the most significant facility overhauls in the school’s history, aimed at reshaping how students learn, collaborate, and engage with industry partners.
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The sound of construction echoes across campus as crews work on critical spaces that will redefine both student experience and the physical footprint of the Carlson building. Much of the early progress is now visible, most notably with the opening of the new Carlson Analytics Lab, which recently moved into a dramatically expanded first-floor location on the west bank of the Twin Cities campus.
Previously tucked into the lower level, the upgraded lab now includes an open workspace, a dedicated meeting room, breakout rooms, and offices designed to support data-intensive consulting projects. Here, Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) student consultants work with client companies, applying analytics, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and data science to solve real business challenges.
Professor Ravi Bapna, the academic director of the Carlson Analytics Lab, said the enhanced facility reflects Carlson’s forward-looking approach. “The new space enhances collaboration, fosters innovation, and opens doors for faculty and students to build corporate and community partnerships and co-create a better future with AI and analytics,” said Bapna, who also serves as the Curtis L. Carlson Chair Professor in Business Analytics and Information Systems.
One of the most dramatic transformations is underway in what will soon become the Glaser Family Experiential Learning Suite, an area spanning more than 5,600 square feet on the first floor. This suite will house the school’s four Enterprise programs—signature experiential learning tracks where MBA and undergraduate students collaborate on real-world consulting assignments for client organizations.
While each Enterprise program will maintain its own identity and workspace, the suite will also offer a collection of shared collaborative areas, research-focused group rooms, and team project zones. The location’s visibility on the first floor underscores Carlson’s commitment to making experiential learning a core part of its academic brand.
The redesign also supports the project’s broader mission to promote collaboration, strengthen belonging, and deepen the school’s ties to the business community, especially as corporate partnerships increasingly rely on analytics, AI, and hands-on student engagement.
The $40 million Connecting Carlson project is uniquely funded—100% supported by philanthropic contributions. According to school leaders, more than 90% of the fundraising goal has already been achieved, thanks to the generosity of alumni, corporate partners, and long-time supporters who see the project as a strategic investment in the future of business education.
Once completed, the building will be named in honor of Marilyn Carlson Nelson, former CEO of Carlson Companies and a respected leader in both business and community engagement. Carlson Nelson has played a key role in advancing the project and championing its long-term significance for Minnesota’s workforce and economy.
Construction remains active across multiple parts of the Carlson building, including the auditorium, atrium, roof, lower-level common spaces, breakout rooms, and upgraded restrooms. These improvements will continue into the next academic year, with the full project slated for completion in fall 2026.
As the work progresses, students, faculty, and industry partners are already beginning to experience how the redesigned environment supports Carlson’s evolving educational philosophy—one that blends analytics, collaboration, and hands-on practice at the center of business learning.
Originally reported by Minnesota News and Events.
