The University of New Mexico will host a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Science and Mathematics Learning Center on Friday, June 5 at 10:30 a.m. at the current “B” parking lot located west of Clark Hall and south of Bandelier Hall. A reception will be held after the event, which is open to members of the UNM community.
After an introduction by Arts and Sciences Dean Brenda Claiborne, the event will include brief presentations by President David Schmidly, Raymond Sanchez, president, UNM Board of Regents, Vera Norwood, professor of American Studies and former Interim Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and Alejandro Aceves, professor, Mathematics and Statistics.
The $23 million building will contain individual study areas, a meeting lobby, classrooms and a 200-seat auditorium. The Chemistry, Mathematics, Biology, and Earth and Planetary Sciences departments will share the building. Construction is expected to last until early fall of 2010.
The Learning Center will be designed to meet the sustainability requirements for the United States Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design’s (LEED) Silver rating, per Governor Bill Richardson’s 2006 executive order for new state buildings.
Media Contact: Benson Hendrix, (505) 277-1816; e-mail: bhendrix@unm.edu