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Centerpiece of science
Ground breaks this May for McKenna-Thielsch laboratory facility, Orlady renovation to follow
When ground breaks for Jamestown College’s 20,000 square foot McKenna -Thielsch Center, named for lead donor Margaret (McKenna) Thielsch ’41, it will be the beginning of a project bringing together several areas of study and linking a new facility with one of the College’s historic treasures. When completed, the 38,000 square foot complex will be the largest academic building on Jamestown College’s campus and will be the home of the biology, chemistry, and nursing departments. One-third of applicants to Jamestown College express interest in at least one of those academic areas, and one-quarter of Jamestown College graduates receive their degrees in those fields. “Colleges today are placing an emphasis on their science facilities through additions of state-of-the art science complexes designed to encourage top students to study and become lifelong contributors to the fields of health, research and education,” says Polly Peterson, Vice President for Institutional Advancement. “But the cornerstone of the College’s science and nursing programs
has always been, and will continue to be, the quality of the faculty in the program and the personal connections they make with their students.”
technology that goes along with them has brought about a need for significant changes in the way laboratory facilities are laid out.
State-of-the-Art
“We will be set up to run the simulations with much more ease and more realistically (in two new large simulation labs),” she says. “We will have ability to record simulations and review them with the students, and we’ll have video and audio streaming and two-way mirrors so that instructors may observe the students without influencing them.”
When McKenna -Thielsch opens in the Fall of 2013, students and faculty will enjoy six science labs, each designed for 24 students and equipped with Smart Board technology. A 350 square foot greenhouse will be another fundamental part of the facility. “More labs will make it easier for scheduling, and we’ll have everything where we want it as the labs will have support areas to store equipment,” says Dr. Bruce Jensen, Biology Department Chair. “Everything will be conveniently located.”
The department currently has two adult simulators, one birthing mother simulator, and one infant simulator. A pediatric simulator will be the next acquisition.
A student research lab will fill a need for students working independently on research projects, giving them flexibility and a place to conduct their work without tying up labs used by classes.
Once the Thielsch-McKenna Center is completed, attention will turn to the renovation of 71-year-old Orlady Hall, a historic building which was once the home of the Jimmie Grill, student center, and the college radio station, KJRC.
Dr. Jacqueline Mangnall, Nursing Department Chair, says the use of hi-fidelity patient simulators and the
Orlady’s renaissance
Named for College Trustee Benjamin Orlady and built with major funding from his widow and family, Orlady Hall was last renovated in 1989. The new Orlady will house faculty offices, a computer lab, five large classrooms, two conference rooms, five student study rooms of various sizes, a faculty lounge, a reception room, a nursing records room, and a work room. A gift from lead donor Lloyd Sheldon (’44) is instrumental in these improvements. “We’re very excited about places where the students can gather and study together,” Dr. Mangnall says. “And it’s wonderful to see an old building made new.”
Science Project Rendering