Breaking New Ground
Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal and Georgia Southern President Brooks Keel along with local leaders, legislators and invited guests broke ground June 9 for University’s planned $37 million Biological Sciences Building.
The building, which will be located at the intersection of Akins Drive and Forest Drive (across the street from the University’s College of Education), will open in Spring 2013.
The current Biology Building was constructed in 1968 for a student population of fewer than 5,000, nearly one quarter of Georgia Southern’s expected fall 2011 enrollment of 20,000 students. Ninety eight percent of all Georgia Southern students take at least one class in biology prior to graduation.
Biological Sciences Building Facts:
Total Gross Square Feet: 155,394
Teaching Labs: 10
Research Labs: 15 labs with 31 research spaces
Design/Construction: SLAM Collaborative/Brasfield & Gorrie
“Georgia Southern’s goal is to leap forward as a serious research-oriented University while retaining our student-centered reputation. This new building will showcase scientific research and learning as it happens, providing our students with exceptional opportunities at all levels,” said Brooks Keel, Ph.D. president of Georgia Southern University. “This building is an investment in the future of science education and economic development in Georgia and it would not have been possible without the support of our local legislators.”
“Georgia Southern University is the leading research institution in southeast Georgia and is expected to reach a record 20,000 students this fall,” said Deal. “This new building not only addresses a major need, but also creates a strategic center for the study of biological sciences in Georgia. The new facility will enable Georgia Southern students and researchers to pursue important scientific advancements that will benefit the entire state of Georgia and beyond.”
The new building has been designed to provide maximum flexibility to ensure its longevity and utility. In addition to its modern lab and research spaces, the building also includes space for group work and cooperative learning activities. Keel says that the addition of this new state-of-the-art building to Georgia Southern’s campus, combined with its outstanding faculty, will “form the most comprehensive center for science education in southern Georgia.”
University officials say that the facility will enable Georgia Southern to continue to attract outstanding students from across Georgia, the nation and from around the world. Georgia Southern was most recently ranked one of the Top 10 universities in the country for minority Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) by Forbes magazine.