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University students and faculty are looking forward to state-of-the-art classrooms and research facilities as construction continues on the expansion and renovation of the Science Building. The new 65,000-square-foot addition is slated to be ready for occupancy this summer, when renovation work will begin on the existing building.
Exterior construction of the three-story addition has been completed. The addition will contain twenty-five new modular research laboratories designed to support upper-level undergraduate studies and research, and twelve teaching labs for upper-level courses. Research and laboratory spaces will be configured to allow for collaboration between faculty and students.
“The students are going to benefit greatly from this new modern facility,” says Lance Risley, professor of biology, who has served as faculty liaison to the project for the past two years. “Several of the research labs will be designed to allow students to work with faculty members as part of a research group, which is a highly desirable educational experience.”
The renovation will include new computer labs, small classrooms that support student-faculty interaction, new greenhouses, and wireless technology. The plan calls for numerous gathering spaces for students, including a large lounge located in a new two-story atrium entrance. The entire project is scheduled for completion by 2011.
During the fall semester, students and faculty with classes in the lecture halls formerly known as 200A and 200B already had a taste of what the new facility will be like. Both lecture halls, which are in the existing building, have been converted to smaller, theater-style lecture spaces.
