‘Beam Signing’ Heralds Coad Building Expansion
Richard D. L. Fulton
Artist rendition of proposed Coad expansion.
Mount Saint Mary’s University (MSMU) kicked off the planned expansion of the university’s construction of a 21,000-square-foot addition to the Mount’s Coad Science Building with a “beam-signing” ceremony on April 28.
The construction of the $10.75 million addition will commence as the spring semester ends, according to information provided by MSMU’s Marketing & Communications Team, with the objective that the project will be completed by the fall of 2024.
The “beam-signing” event was held to mark the official beginning of the $10.75 million project, and a fiberglass beam was made available for ceremonial event attendees to sign. The beam will ultimately be displayed in a prominent location in the building once the expansion project is completed.
“The addition to Coad will provide a state-of-the-art learning environment for the Mount’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) programs, enabling programmatic expansion consistent with STEM profession demands and helping the university continue to attract and retain outstanding faculty and students,” Mount President Timothy Trainor stated.
Christine McCauslin, dean of the School of Natural Science and Mathematics, said, “We are fortunate to have experienced tremendous growth in the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics over the last several years, thanks to the hard work of our students, faculty, and staff.”
McCauslin further stated, “I look forward to the road ahead as we build on our trajectory of success and gain recognition as a leading STEM educator, whose graduates are highly sought after, and prepared to make a positive impact on the world.”
Coad is a three-story, 50,100 square-foot building, which houses the School of Natural Science and Mathematics. The building, constructed in 1964, has outgrown the existing space and needs to be renovated for modern STEM pedagogical (educational) practices, according to MSMU Marketing & Communications.
Stantec Architecture, based in Butler, Pennsylvania, designed the expansion plan.
Construction is being managed by JEM Group, LLC, based in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania.
Specific goals for the expansion include a design that promotes circulation and spontaneous interaction; is flexible and adaptable; and provides natural light where STEM students and faculty in action can see, and be seen, according to the Mount.
The new classroom and lab spaces will be technology-rich, multi-use, flexible, and configurable for a variety of instructional formats and class sizes.
MSMU Marketing & Communications reported that the addition will include neuroscience, computational, and environmental research labs, as well as collaborative spaces, which will be constructed in the first phase of the project.
The second phase will include the buildout of the second and third levels of the expansion, which will include the creation of additional science labs, classrooms, and experiential research spaces. The work on the expansion will then be completed in a third phase, which will involve renovation of the existing space in the Coad Science Building.
The Coad expansion and renovation project is being funded by donations to the Our Mission, Our Moment, Our Mount Campaign, and a $2 million grant from the State of Maryland, in conjunction with donations made in support of the project through the Forward! Together as One campaign.
The Our Mission, Our Moment, Our Mount was created as a comprehensive campaign to invest at least $50 million to help address more immediate mission-critical priority needs.
The Forward! Together as One campaign was established to raise contributions for various Mount projects, ranging from sports assets to Seminary upgrades to National Shrine of the Grotto improvements.
A “lead donation” from George Delaplaine, Jr. will provide the collaborative space, to be called the Delaplaine Family Academic Commons. Other top-level donors to the expansion project are the Page Family Foundation, Trish and D.J. Monagle, Paula and Fred Neuer, and Christina Lee and Mark Sobus.
Christine McCauslin, dean of the School of Natural Science and Mathematics, signs the commemorative beam.
