Purdue University Northwest officials say it took nearly 15 years of planning, persistence and efforts to get some vital legislative support... but lawmakers finally approved construction of a new instructional facility at Purdue University Northwest’s Hammond Campus.
The General Assembly early Saturday morning allocated $35.1 million for construction of the Bioscience Innovation Building on the Hammond Campus. It will house state-of-the-art instructional and research facilities for nursing, biological sciences and STEM education.
The antiquated Gyte Annex will be torn down to make way for the new Bioscience Innovation Building. Gyte was the longtime home to the College of Nursing. It was built on campus for Inland Steel to use as a research facility in the 1950s.
Purdue University Northwest Chancellor Thomas Keon thanked those who supported the project and moved it along toward realization. "We are greatly appreciative of the support provided by legislators across Northwest Indiana and beyond, and especially that of Rep. Hal Slager, who tirelessly championed our building. Every step of the way, he forged forward making his legislative colleagues aware of what this facility means to Northwest Indiana, both educationally and for economic growth and sustainability."
The new building will house collaborative learning environments, including cutting edge instructional labs. It also will provide advanced STEM educational opportunities through a broad range of concentrations in biotechnology, cell/physiology, ecology, microbiology and pre-professional studies.
Additionally, it will advance clinical simulation and lab space for PNW’s College of Nursing, recognized as a Center of Excellence by the National League for Nursing.
