Roanoke College broke ground on the first phase of its new advanced science center on Saturday, April 20, kicking off a project that will benefit all future Maroons.
The Science Center reimagines three major buildings on campus to create a state-of-the-art hub for STEM learning and research.
Construction will take place in stages, starting with the demolition of Massengill Auditorium, which was built around the 1970s. In its place, a new $30 million facility will be built. Future phases will also require major renovations to the adjacent Life Sciences Hall and Trexler Hall buildings.
The groundbreaking ceremony and farewell for Massengill Auditorium coincided with Roanoke’s annual Alumni Weekend celebration and the return of hundreds of graduates to campus.
“A place like Roanoke College with such talented students and faculty is truly limited,” said President Frank Schuschock Jr.
The Science Center is an innovative project that serves some of Roanoke’s most popular majors and houses one-third of all campus courses.
Betty Sue Masters ’59, a member of the Science Center Advisory Board, said, “All future students, regardless of their major, will be exposed to science, technology, engineering, and “I’m going to learn mathematics.” “These laboratories provide the latest educational equipment and infrastructure for STEM research and produce graduates who are highly competitive in academia and industry.”
In addition to coursework, more than half of student research projects take place in the science center. The facility’s next-generation design features high-powered laboratories, interactive learning spaces, collaboration areas, and more technological opportunities for increased accessibility, innovation, and interdisciplinary collaboration to explore new discoveries. Guide students through the times.
“To repeat a line from our alma mater, many years have passed, but we will always know that dear old man Massengill has been good to us,” said Professor of Biology Len Pisch. said. “Massengill has served as a magical place, teaching courses from history to business, education to health and exercise science, and a place of inquiry for students conducting research from the cellular level to the cosmos.”
The Science Center’s efforts are made possible by generous donors who have contributed a total of $55 million to date toward an overall goal of $60 million for all phases of the project.
Charlottesville-based architecture firm VMDO is managing the project. VMDO previously supported Roanoke College in the design of the state-of-the-art Creger Center, which was unveiled in 2016.
