Higher Ed


Indiana University Approves Design for 11-Story Medical Education Building

The Board of Trustees at Indiana University recently approved the design of a new Medical Education Building for the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis. The new facility will stand 11 stories tall, measure in at roughly 326,200 square feet and provide much-needed additional space for the instructional and research needs of various programs.

California College Breaks Ground on Creative Arts Facility

College of the Redwoods, a community college in Eureka, Calif., recently broke ground on a new creative arts building. The new facility will measure in at 29,888 square feet and will replace the former creative arts building, which was built in 1974.

University of Arizona Completes Student Success District

The University of Arizona in Tucson, Ariz., recently completed an $81-million, seven-year construction project called the Student Success District. The project’s goal was to centralize and upgrade a variety of crucial student resources including library services, tutoring and advising, mentoring and career services, and health programs within a single area of campus.

OhmniClean UV-C Disinfection Robot

OhmniLabs Debuts UV-C Cleaning Robot

Robotics company OhmniLabs recently debuted an autonomous cleaning robot that uses UV-C light to disinfect spaces. OhmniClean is capable of disinfecting a 3,000-square-foot space in less than 15 minutes and was designed for use in schools, hospitals, hotels and other spaces that require deep cleaning of high-touch surfaces.

Harvard Divinity School Swartz Hall

Harvard Divinity School Completes Renovation of Swartz Hall

Harvard Divinity School in Cambridge, Mass., recently announced that the renovation and expansion project for Swartz Hall has been completed. According to a news release, the 60,000-square-foot renovation and 13,000-square-foot expansion began in May 2019.

Exit sign

Safety Resolutions: 7 Reasons to Update Your School’s Safety Signs in 2022

From students to faculty, any school’s first priority should be the safety of people on campus. By now, you’ve probably learned that safety signage plays a vital role in keeping people safe at your school. From the parking lot to the playground, having the proper school safety signs not only keeps your students and faculty safe but also helps you avoid costly lawsuits or OSHA fines.

Georgia Tech Energy Infrastructure Upgrade

Energy Infrastructure Upgrade to Save Georgia Tech $11.7M

Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Ga., recently partnered with facility energy solutions provider ABM Industries to upgrade campus STEM labs—and save about $11.7 million across ten years in the process.

University of Wisconsin to Test AI-Powered Security System

Liberty Defense Holdings Ltd. recently announced that it has signed an agreement with the University of Wisconsin Police Department (UWPD) to test a new security detection walkthrough portal on campus.

University of Pittsburgh to Build New Recreation Center

Construction on a new Campus Recreation and Wellness Center at the University of Pittsburgh is underway. The project is part of a wider Campus Master Plan that was finalized in 2019 and will provide amenities like a recreational pool, jogging track, basketball courts, weightlifting equipment and more.

Butler to Remodel Residence Hall Community

Butler University in Indianapolis, Ind., has announced that it will soon be renovating its Residential College. The residence hall was built in 1988 and serves mainly first-year students. The project is slated to last about two years and cost more than $20 million.

UMN Pioneer Hall

Gen Z Students Look for "Alone-Together" Space in College Housing

Those students born between 1997 and 2012, otherwise known as Generation Z or Gen Zers, are redefining expectations for college housing and services, according to an architectural firm that specializes in working with colleges and universities.

Outdoor spaces promote mental health and wellness

Outdoor Spaces Help Promote Mental Health and Wellness on Campus

Today, college students are experiencing tremendous pressure and stress caused by an ever-broadening range of influences and factors, negatively impacting many aspects of social development, learning, and overall well-being.

Penn State nuclear reactor facility

Penn State Expanding On-Campus Nuclear Reactor

Penn State is expanding its on-campus nuclear reactor and the facility that houses it. The university broke ground on the $9.5-million project, which is intended to accommodate an upcoming equipment donation, facilitate neutron beam research and help grow the nuclear engineering program at the institution.

Virginia Military Institute Aquatic Center

Virginia Military Institute Pushing Off with New Aquatic Center

A military college has begun construction on a new aquatic center. The $44.2 million project underway at the Virginia Military Institute is scheduled for completion in November 2022.

Colorado College Uses Grants to Add Construction Program

A public technical college in Colorado will be launching a new construction trades certification program that will give students experience in building affordable housing.

Fresno, Calif., Aims to Convert Motel to Affordable Student Housing

The city of Fresno, Calif., recently proposed the conversion of a local motel into a housing facility for students at Fresno City College. Construction could be complete as soon as fall 2022, providing 69 apartments with subsidized rent that could provide space for about 300 students.

Princeton Breaks Ground on Campus Expansion

Last month, officials at Princeton University gathered to break ground on the Lake Campus Development in West Windsor, N.J.

Ron Nyce

Riot Glass, Inc., Names New Vice President of Operations

Retrofit security glass and door systems solutions company Riot Glass, Inc., recently named its new Vice President of Operations.

Boston University to Debut Digital Learning, Innovation Center

Boston University is on track to open its new Shipley Center for Digital Learning & Innovation to students in early 2022.

UK Markey Cancer Center

U Kentucky Trustees Approve Land Purchase for Cancer Outpatient Center

This week, the University of Kentucky Board of Trustees approved a purchase agreement of $6.9 million for parcels of land near the university’s Albert B. Chandler Hospital in Lexington, Ky., to construct a new outpatient cancer treatment center.

U Alabama Trying Out Solar-Powered Pods

Shortly, the campus of the University of Alabama will sport a set of small, greenhouse-like structures where students can have private, socially-distanced space for their studies or relaxation.

Orchard Park Redevelopment University of California Davis

UC Davis Housing Redevelopment to Accommodate Four Times More Students

Construction is moving apace on a 1,600-bed student housing community for the University of California, Davis. Scheduled for completion in fall 2023, the community will provide 189 two-bedroom units for students with families and 424 studios and four-bed apartments for 1,100 graduate students.

Harold Black, Mary Blackwell Diallo and Kerry Rushin Miller

U Georgia to Name Two Buildings after Distinguished Black Graduates

Days after the Board of Regents for the University System of Georgia declined to rename dozens of colleges and buildings carrying names of historic figures who supported slavery and racial segregation, the University of Georgia recommended renaming two facilities on its campus for some of the university's earliest and most distinguished African American graduates.

University Installs Microphone Array Ceiling Tiles

Michigan Technological University (MTU) in Houghton, Mich., recently announced that it has outfitted two of its on-campus spaces with ClearOne BMA 360 Beamforming Microphone Array Ceiling Tiles.

Marquette University Business School

Marquette $60M Business School on Track to Open Dec. 2022

Milwaukee's Marquette University is on track to complete construction of a new, $60-million business school in a year. According to the institution, the facility is the largest donor-funded one in its history.

Penn State Unveils New Animal, Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences Building

Pennsylvania State University in University Park, Pa., recently celebrated a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new academic building on its campus. University officials, students, faculty and staff gathered on Wednesday, Dec. 1, to commemorate the opening of the new Animal, Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences Building.

Mississippi College to Convert Former Junior High into Arts Complex

Mississippi College in Clinton, Miss., has announced that it will convert a former junior high school facility into a fine arts building. The college acquired the Clinton Junior High School building in 2010.

UNC Charlotte Resumes Construction of New Residence Hall

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte announced recently that construction has restarted on a new, six-story residence hall called Moore Hall. The project was delayed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Saint Francis University Sensory Room

Saint Francis University Debuts Sensory Room

Saint Francis University in Loretto, Penn., recently debuted a sensory room as space for students with neurodiverse sensory needs. A news release calls Saint Francis one of a “handful of universities” in the U.S. with a specifically dedicated such space.

Schools In Focus: Talking Campus Security with Mitch McKinley

Schools In Focus: UV Light and Creating Cleaner Learning Environments

Disinfection techniques that help make classrooms safe for students, teachers and staff are still top of mind. Here to discuss some of the benefits of ultraviolet light disinfection are Bruce Ramsay, Brand Manager for Visioneering, and Tim Stevens, Director of Product Management for Certolux. We’ll touch on some facts and myths about UV light, the role of UV light in maintaining clean education spaces, the challenges that education professionals should be aware of when purchasing UV light technology, and the technology’s benefits for end users in educational facilities. This episode of Schools in Focus is sponsored by Viscor, a Leviton company.

Cypress College ribbon-cutting ceremony

Cypress College Opens Two New Facilities

Cypress College in Cypress, Calif., recently celebrated the grand opening of two new facilities: the Veterans Resource Center and the Science, Engineering and Math (SEM) building.

Kimball International Wins Award from Women in Healthcare

Furnishings company Kimball International recently received the Outstanding Organization Award from Women in Healthcare.

Orbital Reef space station rendering

Arizona State Envisions Office Park in Space

The ultimate coworking space for digital nomads is on the drawing board. Working alongside others, Arizona State University is developing a space station that acts as a business park.

GSU Launches Graduate Certificate Program in Trustworthy AI Systems

Georgia State University in Atlanta, Ga., recently launched a Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence (Ai) Systems graduate certificate program.

Hand Sanitizer Storage Poses Safety Problems

The widespread use of hand sanitizing stations requires educational institutions to keep a bulk supply of hand sanitizing fluid on hand. And finding a location on campus to keep gallons of hand sanitizing fluid has proved to be a logistical challenge from a fire and life safety inspections perspective.

SAC Science Lab

Top 4 Science Lab Design Factors

College science labs are evolving as teaching and learning methods change. This adaptation includes increasing flexibility and the inclusion of both horizontal and vertical learning surfaces. Although student lab workstations are a critical component of any teaching lab, there are other factors that are just as important. O’Connell Robertson recently put these design criteria into practice while working on the new Alamo Colleges District San Antonio College (SAC) Science Lab Building.

Stony Brook University UNITI Multicultural Center

Stony Brook University Opens New Cultural Center

Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, N.Y., recently celebrated a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new-and-improved UNITI Cultural Center.

Sacred Heart University Martire Family Arena

Sacred Heart University Hockey Arena to Install Smart Windows

Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Conn., announced recently that it will install Smart Windows by View, Inc., at its new Martire Family Arena, currently under construction. Designers wanted to include natural light as part of the rink’s design but were worried that the associated heat would melt the ice.

Can't-Miss Sessions and Workshops at EDspaces 2021

EDspaces 2021 is fast approaching! This year’s conference is scheduled from Wednesday, Nov. 3, to Friday, Nov. 5, in Pittsburgh, Penn. After the 2020 event shifted to a digital format during the pandemic, this year’s gathering marks the return to an in-person celebration of the educational facilities market.

Winona State University Begins $12.3M Sustainability Project

Winona State University in Winona, Minn., announced this week that it is partnering with construction and energy services firm McKinstry for a $12.3-million sustainability and solar energy project.

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