Missouri State University has a new $80 million addition to its science building. And Friday it celebrated the expansion of Blunt Hall, formerly Temple Hall.
The new 77,000-square-foot addition features new labs and equipment, office suites, office space for graduate students and collaboration space.
Dr. Tammy Jahnke, dean of the Missouri State College of Natural and Applied Sciences, said the project has been a dream for science faculty, staff and students for more than 40 years.
"And to be standing here today with everyone who have helped this dream come true is truly an honor," she said. "At the groundbreaking, I used a quote from Sally Ride that said, 'science is fun, and science is curiosity.' Well, let me tell you, science is fun, and I hope we are all curious."
She said they now have a refrigerator farm with a backup generator, so research samples won’t be lost. Previously, refrigerators had to go in the hallways of the original building due to lack of space.
Large windows line the north side of the building allowing views into labs. Jahnke said that’s so passersby can see science in action. Dots and lines have been added to those windows to avoid bird collisions. And a large boulder dug from well below the ground during construction sits outside the north entrance
"It is full of fossils," she said, "indicating that this space was under an ocean many, many, many years ago."
Two more boulders unearthed during construction are part of an outdoor geology classroom on the south side.
Renovation of the original building is set to be finished by next fall.
Current MSU President Dr. Biff Williams and Past MSU President Clif Smart spoke at the event along with Senator Roy Blunt who secured federal funding for the project and for whom the building is named. Governor Mike Kehoe also spoke, and right after the ceremony, he took part in a ceremonial bill signing of legislation granting MO State the ability to independently offer Doctor of Philosophy degree programs.
Williams said the Blunt Hall project will contribute to the mission of the university. It will house two department and three centers: The Department of Biology and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; the School of Earth, Environment and Sustainability; the University Ozarks Environment and Water Resources Institute; and the Center for Resource Planning and Management. Williams said the building also features two lecture halls "designed to host major astronomy and physics lectures."
Funding for the Blunt Hall project includes $49.8 million from the federal government and $30.2 million in ARPA money awarded by the State of Missouri. Many individuals also contributed to the project.
Past MSU President Clif Smart teared up when talking about how funding came together for the project, which is the most expensive to date.
He told Blunt, "Senator, with this addition and the completion of the renovation project next year, you have changed this college and the university forever."
Governor Kehoe mentioned members of the legislature who helped secure state funding for the project, some of whom attended Friday's event. And he said the new building will offer state-of-the-art educational facilities that will create advancements in a variety of fields.
"Investments like these keep Missouri at the forefront of cutting-edge work in these fields," said Kehoe. "We're prepared to compete in these industries across the country and the world."
