Kate Gleason was a business leader, inventor and the first woman member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Born in 1865 in Rochester, and 1884 she became the first woman to enroll in the Mechanical Arts program at Cornell University.

The expansion was designed as additional space for the mechanical, electrical, and computer engineering programs. A primary goal was to promote cross-pollination of ideas between the different engineering programs. Student work areas were arranged in close proximity to an 8,500 sf "collaboratory".

The new facility also provided faculty offices, classrooms, and specialized work areas such as engine test cells, machine rooms and a wind tunnel.

The interior of the building utilized glass walls to offer visual connection to individual programs and promote interdisciplinary activity and interest.