Many universities are leveraging current economic challenges to recruit highly skilled faculty and researchers. Northeastern University in Boston is engaged in a search for 46 professors in a wide range of disciplines, and Tufts University seeks to fill 52 faculty positions. Other institutions, including Amherst, Holy Cross, and Emerson, have created new teaching jobs.
The Scottish Agricultural College opened a £1.3 million beef research center near Edinburgh in Easter Howgate in February of 2009. Funded in part by the Scottish Government, the 3,000-sm facility can house up to 500 bovines. Designed for flexibility, the building will enable researchers to alter operational layouts to study animal production, genetic improvement, behavior, welfare, and greenhouse gas reduction.
Funding from the proposed $900 billion economic stimulus package, which may be approved in February of 2009, will be awarded to “shovel-ready” construction projects. Municipal and educational institutions will compete for the funding, which would be available for projects with plans and contracts in place that can begin construction within 18 months.
The University of Massachusetts completed the $92 million Integrated Sciences Building in January of 2009. Supporting instruction in chemistry, biology, and animal science, the four-story, 155,000-gsf facility includes teaching and research laboratories, a 300-seat auditorium, interaction areas, and advanced imaging facilities. The building will promote interdisciplinary teaching and research by integrating the life, chemical, and physical sciences.
Construction of college and university facilities in the United Kingdom is continuing unchecked in a move to gain the leading edge in the global technology and education market. Newcastle University is planning £200 million in construction over the next three years, and Suffolk New College is building the new £69 million Ipswich campus. Napier University has initiated a £100 million capital plan that includes construction of a health, life, and social sciences campus in Edinburgh.
The University of Ulster will invest £250 million to expand and renovate its four campuses in Northern Ireland. The project includes construction of a new landmark facility in Belfast, expansion of academic facilities in Derry, and development of a premier sports campus in Jordanstown.
The University of Minnesota-Duluth is constructing the $15 million Civil Engineering Building in Duluth, Minn. Construction began in July of 2008 with occupancy expected in fall of 2010. The 34,000-gsf facility will house teaching and research laboratories, classrooms, and administrative offices. LEED Gold sustainable design certification will be sought for the project.
Western University of Health Sciences is constructing the 180,000-sf Health Education Center in Pomona, Calif. Slated for completion in January of 2010, the four-story building will include two 350-seat auditoriums, six 125-seat classrooms, 50 meeting rooms, and research facilities. The facility will house the College of Osteopathic Medicine and degree programs in dentistry, podiatry, and optometry. The construction manager for the project is DPR Construction.
Pennsylvania State University is planning to construct a BSL-3 laboratory on its University Park campus. The 15,000-sf facility will support biodefense, agricultural, and zoonotic research, enabling the university to compete for federal funding supporting select agent and infectious disease research. Penn State operates an existing BSL-2 research laboratory.
The University of Rhode Island opened the $60 million Center for Biotechnology and Life Sciences (CBLS) in Kingston in January of 2009. The 140,000-sf facility broke ground in March 2007 and includes classrooms, teaching and research laboratories, faculty offices, a business incubator, a 300-seat auditorium, and support areas for DNA sequencing. The CBLS features a four-story atrium that connects a research wing and a teaching wing. LEED Silver sustainable design certification will be sought for the facility.
Texas Tech completed a $10 million renovation of the College of Engineering Livermore Auditorium in Lubbock, Texas, in January of 2009. Located in the Chemical Engineering building, the facility houses new research laboratories, offices, and two classrooms accommodating 100 and 155 students. Construction began on the project in June of 2007.
Tufts University is constructing a 95,000-sf addition to the School of Dental Medicine in Boston. Designed by ARC/Architectural Resources Cambridge and built by Shawmut Design and Construction, the five-story vertical expansion is sited on top of Tufts’ existing 10-story facility. Occupancy is expected by year-end 2009. The $64 million project features two new clinical floors, an expanded simulation lab, instructional facilities, a conference center, and administrative offices.
Ivy Tech Community College opened the Indiana Center for the Life Sciences in Bloomington in January of 2009. Created in partnership with the Monroe County government, the facility houses classrooms and training facilities for life sciences education. The 20,000-sf center was designed in collaboration with the Bloomington Life Sciences Partnership and accommodates classes in biotechnology, biology, chemistry, microbiology, biomedical technology, and advanced manufacturing. The facility houses four labs, three classrooms, and a manufacturing suite.
North Carolina State University is planning to build the $126 million James B. Hunt Jr. Library in Raleigh. Located on NCSU’s Centennial Campus, the facility will house the Institute for Emerging Issues, collections on engineering, textiles, and science, and space for collaborative research projects. The facility is being designed by the Norwegian firm Snohetta. Completion is expected in 2012.
California State University, Fullerton has awarded the team of Steinberg Architects and PCL Construction Services a $118 million design-build contract to construct a five-story student housing complex. Designed to attain LEED Gold certification, the project will provide 1,080 beds and a dining facility.
