by Anna McClure | Jun 29, 2015 | News Slider
Construction workers continue building McFarland Science Center upward and outward so that nursing students and others will be better able to build their specialized skills in new labs dedicated to everything from biochemistry to human anatomy. “We’ve had a phenomenal growth in students over the past five to 10 years,” said Dr. Norma Burgess, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, when discussing the 24.000-square-foot addition that is expected to be completed in time for spring 2016 semester. “We’ve added a nursing program that requires the use of more labs, so we’re just expanding the capacity for the students that we serve and more space to do that.” The new additions will include six new laboratories for biochemistry, organic chemistry, microbiology and human anatomy and physiology. Programs have been added in pharmacy and nursing, and a new emphasis on research at the graduate and undergraduate levels and a master’s degree in biomolecular science have been added as well. “I think the faculty have wanted more space for a number of years,” Burgess said. “I think everybody will be excited about it when it does open, so the opportunity to work with additional updated materials and instruments will be huge.” Construction began in the fall of 2014 after funding was secured for the addition. There were delays in the site preparation due to the city permitting process and two feet of bedrock that had to be dug through. The construction has caused a few problems for classes taking place in McFarland during the past year, such as the loss of parking spaces at the front of the building and noise produced by the construction. “Everybody...
by Stephanie Schiraldi | Mar 12, 2015 | News Slider
Students have a new friend in class in the McFarland Science Center — the sound of a drill. Construction crews are working on an addition on the west side of the original building. The project is part of the Lipscomb:Next campaign, an initiative to invest $125 million in the university by its 125th anniversary in 2016. The $8.5 million addition will include six new laboratories for organic chemistry, biochemistry, microbiology and human anatomy and physiology. Despite a few setbacks, Mike Engelman, director of campus construction, said construction is about to start moving swiftly. “This week we are preparing to pour the concrete on the basement slab,” Engelman said. “After that slab is complete, we will start the next level and should really start seeing this building move quick as long as the weather cooperates.” The construction has drawn quite a few noise complaints from both students and professors in the process, though. Kent Gallaher, chair of the department of biology, said the noise originated after the construction company found a layer of rock settling on top of a layer of mud, which had to be removed. “The solution was a hammer through the rock layer to stabilize the foundation,” Gallaher said. “This was very, very noisy work that required a huge bulldozer-sized jack hammer.” Brittany Elmore, a junior elementary education major from Mt. Juliet, said that some of her professors have had to wait for the noise to stop before they could continue teaching. “It was so loud that no one could hear,” Elmore said. “It’s definitely hard to focus and is distracting sometimes, but it really hasn’t bothered me as much...
