Carroll University, of Waukesha, has announced a multi-year, multi-building campus improvement project aimed at enhancing and expanding its science facilities.
The university on Friday unveiled plans to construct a 12,000-square-foot space attached to Lowry Hall, which houses many of the school’s science classes and labs. Additionally, the university will renovate Lowry Hall, which covers 16,270 square feet.
The addition to the hall will be known as the Bucyrus Center for Applied Physics and Engineering, inspired by a $1 million challenge grant issued to the university by the Bucyrus Foundation.
The award from the foundation, which is administered through the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, is serving as the lead gift for phase two of a broader construction project focused on campus science facilities.
Phase one, estimated to cost about $24 million, is slated to kick off early next year as the university demolishes Maxon Hall, another home to science courses. Taking the building’s place will be a brand new 44,500-square-foot, state-of-the-art science building equipped with interactive teaching and research laboratories for anatomy and physiology, biology, chemistry and biochemistry. The building is also being designed to hold student and faculty gathering areas.
University officials anticipate completing phase one by fall 2016, at which point phase two will be launched.
The second phase will be grounded by the construction of the Bucyrus Center for Applied Physics and Engineering and the remodeling of Lowry Hall.
University officials are not yet certain how much phase two will cost, according to university spokesperson Tiffany Wynn. The $1 million gift from the Bucyrus Foundation has kicked off fundraising efforts.
“Considering the demand for talented engineers continues to grow significantly both regionally and nationally, the timing is opportune for Carroll University to increase its capacity to attract and educate students who will fill this need in the workforce,” said Tim Sullivan, chairman of the Bucyrus Foundation of the Greater Milwaukee Foundation. “This enhanced learning center will serve as an excellent resource for the future of the university and those pursuing careers in science and manufacturing.”
According to Carroll University president Douglas Hastad, the Bucyrus Center factors into a large-scale comprehensive campaign to raise $50 million for campus buildings and endowment.
“The largest part of the campaign focuses on constructing, renovating and upgrading science facilities on campus because nearly two-thirds of Carroll students major in the sciences,” Hastad said. “The new center will help Carroll meet the goal of increasing the talent pool of engineers for Waukesha and the greater Milwaukee region.”
The $1 million gift is the first grant the university has received from the Bucyrus Foundation.
The grant and project plans were announced to the campus community on Monday.
