Purdue approves new hall of science name
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) – The Purdue University Board of Trustees has approved the naming of the university’s new STEM Teaching Lab facility as the Chaney-Hale Hall of Science. The university says the naming recognizes the joint leadership gifts from Jeannie and Jim Chaney, and Judy and Dave Hale.
According to Purdue, the $64 million, 111,000-square-foot facility is centrally located between Hovde Hall, the Elliott Hall of Music and Purdue Armory and will provide 33 multidisciplinary laboratory classrooms for up to 15,000 students. The university says the new building will optimize hands-on learning across the university’s science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines.
The building will also be home to the campus’ first new teaching-labs space in nearly 50 years. More than 80% of students taking classes in the new building will come from outside the College of Science, including students from the colleges of Health and Human Sciences, Agriculture, and Engineering, among others.
“This building is a crucial next step in our continued growth in national leadership in STEM education,” Purdue President Mitch Daniels said. “These ‘labs of the future’ give us the opportunity to serve all of Purdue’s students with the best possible hands-on STEM learning environment. It’s very fitting that the power of innovative partnerships, relationships and collaboration that will take place in our newest teaching lab facility is reflected in the names of the friends whose creative generosity came together to support Chaney-Hale Hall.”
Purdue says it is among the top three universities in the U.S. for the number of STEM graduates produced annually.