New Facility for Mathematics at Missouri Southern State University

A dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony for Jeremiah “Jay” Nixon Hall will be held  on January 31, inside the newest addition to Missouri Southern State University’s campus in Joplin, MO.

A little more than two years after breaking ground, the $8.1-million, 21,000-square-foot facility was up and running for the beginning of the Spring 2019 semester just as planned.

Facility for Mathematics at Missouri Southern State University

Named for a former Missouri governor, Nixon Hall is the new home for the university’s mathematics program and features classrooms, lecture halls, faculty offices, a computer lab, and mathematically themed interior design elements. Nixon Hall is designed to facilitate collaboration between students and faculty through the use of different types of collaboration spaces of various sizes. Each lecture hall is flexible in that two lecture halls can open up to be one large lecture hall space for large educational groups.

It also includes a three-story atrium and a skywalk that connects the facility to the second floor of the recently renovated Reynolds Hall—something that makes the trip back and forth more expedient for STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) students.

Featured

  • Spaces4Learning Announces 2026 Product Award Winners

    Spaces4Learning has just announced the winners of the 2026 Product Awards! The award program spotlights outstanding product development achievements of manufacturers and suppliers whose products or services are considered to be particularly noteworthy in their ability to enhance K–12 and higher-education learning environments.

  • UT-San Antonio Begins Residence Hall Renovations

    The University of Texas at San Antonio recently began a $6-million renovation project to one of its residence halls, according to a news release. Originally completed in 1986, Chisolm Hall measures in at 120,860 square feet and is the oldest and largest residence hall on campus.

  • Back-to-School Playground Safety: 7 Common Hazards to Look for After Summer Break

    As summer break comes to an end, school administrators have plenty to prepare before students return. While classrooms, hallways and common areas often receive attention during all the back-to-school preparations, the playground should not be overlooked. Months of weather exposure, storms, and regular wear can leave behind hazards that may not be immediately noticeable.

  • Opportunity by Design Framework

    Opportunity by Design

    Educational improvement efforts often focus on curriculum, instruction, assessment, professional development, and intervention systems while treating the physical school building as background. But school design is not a passive backdrop to learning — it is a structural lever for equity.