A new home for the School of Data Science and National Security Collaboration Center will set University of Texas at San Antonio apart as pioneers in big data, cybersecurity, cloud computing, robotics, and artificial intelligence. David Mongeau and Corinna Green relate the key program decisions that coalesced thought leaders from across academic lines to build a new and vital data science resource – classrooms, labs, and research space – under one highly collaborative roof. They set out design features aimed at recruiting and equipping a new generation of diverse data scientists, embedding government and industry partners, and delivering the technology resources and infrastructure these programs need to stay on the cutting edge.