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Building for the Future Illinois Gov. Patrick Quinn, SIU administrators, lawmakers and developers turned dirt during a December 2009 ground breaking ceremony, ushering in the building phase of the new Science Building Complex on the SIUE campus. The projected movein date for Science Building occupants is November 2011. “This project means a tremendous amount for the growth of SIUE, the economic development of Southwestern Illinois, and the training and education of a highly qualified workforce for Southern Illinois,” said Kenn Neher, SIUE vice chancellor for administration. The current Science Building, the third structure completed on SIUE’s core campus, opened in September 1966. The building houses the departments of biological sciences, chemistry, mathematics and statistics, and physics as well as the environmental sciences program. During the past few years, enrollment growth has
put space in the building at a premium. Not only are labs overcrowded and equipment outdated, faculty members are teaching laboratory classes seven days per week to accommodate student demand. The renovation will bring many positive benefits for his program, said Abdullatif Hamad, associate professor of physics and chair of that department. “Every physics faculty member will have a research lab,” he said. “This will impact scholarly productivity considerably. We will be able to acquire more equipment and involve more students in our research, since space and scheduling will no longer be issues.” “The lack of a new science building has been the single most important factor limiting the future growth of SIUE,” said SIUE Chancellor Vaughn Vandegrift. “The Science Building complex is a much-needed facility that will allow us to meet the academic demands of our current students.”
Campus Improvements