Biology continues plans for renovation

Biology Department members and University officials continue to detail plans for renovation and rebuilding of the department's current facilities, a process which School of Arts and Sciences Facilities Director Charles Bronk said will likely last until June. Officials are meeting with representatives from the Ellenzweig Associates architectural firm throughout the semester to determine final plans for creating and renovating new research and teaching laboratories, as well as constructing a new building for the department. The plans will attempt to meet the department's "desperate need" of improved and expanded research and teaching laboratory space, according to Biology Department Chairperson Andy Binns. "Large fractions of our facilities are currently inadequate," he said. "Most of my faculty works under conditions of overcrowdedness." Plans currently call for demolishing the Kaplan Wing of Leidy Laboratories on Hamilton Walk and the construction of a new building in its place, Bronk said. The new building would likely hold new lecture halls and research labs. But Bronk said complex factors must be resolved before proceeding with that portion of the plan. He explained that construction on the Kaplan building -- "an active research site" -- would force a need for temporary "swing space" which has not yet been identified. An additional aspect of the plans calls for the relocation of the biology teaching labs into the renovated basement of Leidy Laboratories, Binns said. The Leidy research laboratories -- which need "extensive work" -- are also targeted for renovations. The building last underwent major updates in 1980. After completing the construction, the Biology Department will vacate the Goddard Building. Current plans do not call for extending the department's facilities onto any additional land areas. Faculty members have complained about inadequate research laboratory space, limited electrical capabilities and faulty lighting in the buildings. In addition, leaky ceilings often pose hazards and inconveniences for laboratories such as Biology Professor Greg Guild's lab in the Kaplan building, where College sophomore Vickie Mukovozov serves as a research assistant. "About a month ago, a pipe broke and probably a fourth of the lab was covered in water," she explained. And Binns said current facilities impair the University's ability to attract top-notch students and faculty to the department. The department serves the approximately 450 undergraduate students majoring in Biology, as well as graduate students and post-doctoral students. Funding for the renovation and construction projects has not yet been identified. "The stumbling block is the fundraising," Binns said. "Efforts being undertaken to raise funds for science facilities are extensive and take a lot of work." The department is currently working with an advisory board to identify potential sources of funding. SAS Associate Dean David Balamuth explained that more detailed identification of the use of space will expedite efforts to identify funds. As part of the University's Agenda for Excellence, administrators have pledged renovating and constructing new Biology facilities and the construction of a new Psychology building. "This project has high visibility and priority," Balamuth said. And Binns said he is confident that University administrators are dedicated to "putting the department in one of the top positions in the country." The Psychology Department will likely receive use of the northeast corner of 34th and Chestnut streets for construction of a new facility, marking the first time the department would be centralized in one facility.