Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Roanoke College Breaks Ground on New Science Center

  • By Matt Jones
  • 04/25/24

Roanoke College in Salem, Va., recently broke ground on the first phase of a new Science Center, according to a college news release. The three-phase project will transform three buildings on campus into a new STEM hub for academics and research. The first phase of construction entails the demolition of a 1970s-era auditorium building to make room for a $30-million academic building.

The news release reports that once the new facility is completed, it will play home to some of the school’s most popular degree programs and house about one-third of all courses on campus. Amenities will include lab space, interactive study spaces, collaboration space, and technology upgrades. The college partnered with architecture firm VMDO for the project’s design.

“Every future student, regardless of major will take science, technology, engineering and mathematics in that facility as part of their educational foundation,” said Bettie Sue Masters ‘59, a member of the science center advisory board. “The laboratories will provide modern educational instrumentation and infrastructure for STEM research to produce graduates who are highly competitive and in academia and industry.”

According to the school’s website, every student on campus will take at least three courses from programs housed in the Science Center, regardless of major. The project serves as the capstone of a 25-year Campus Journey that has seen a series of campus construction and renovation projects around campus.

The Science Center will play home to the college’s programs in actuarial science, biology, chemistry, computer science, data science, engineering science, environmental studies, mathematics, physics, and psychology, according to the Roanoke College website.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Deferred Maintenance Issues Growing at Universities, Gordian Reports

    U.S. colleges and universities are falling increasingly behind on facilities maintenance and repair, according to Gordian’s 13th annual State of Facilities in Higher Education report. The deferred capital renewal burden has reached $156 per gross square foot, an 8% increase over the previous year.

  • South Carolina District Starts Construction on $50M Middle School Renovation

    The Aiken County Public School District in North Augusta, S.C., recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the $50-million renovation and expansion of North Augusta Middle School, according to a news release. The project’s funding comes from the 2024 renewal of a one-cent sales tax approved by local voters.

  • Chartwells Launches Campus Dining Evaluation Framework

    Contract food-service management provider Chartwells Higher Education recently announced the launch of BLUEPRINT, according to a news release. The evaluation framework was designed to provide a data-driven and customizable roadmap towards optimizing campus dining services and, by extension, the student experience.

  • Moline-Coal Valley School District to Consolidate Two Schools into New Facility

    The Moline-Coal Valley School District in Moline, Ill., recently broke ground on a new elementary school that will consolidate the students and staff from two existing schools, according to local news. Robert Ontiveros Elementary School will serve as the new home for Lincoln-Irving Elementary School and Willard Elementary School.