Project for Life Sciences still on track

Slow but steady progress is being made on the new Life Sciences Building that will house the Biology and Psychology departments, as well as part of the Genomics Institute.

The building -- which will stand next to Leidy Labs on Hamilton Walk -- will be constructed in two phases. The first phase of construction will build space to accommodate the Biology Department, and the second will be aimed at the Psychology Department.

Financial considerations necessitated the two-phase plan. Phase one alone will cost the University $57 million. Phase two is expected to ring up at around the same amount, if not more.

The administration is engaged in intense fundraising and is applying to foundations for grants. The most recent grant came from The Pew Charitable Trust, which donated $2.1 million for the new building.

The decision to construct the building in stages was also determined based on logistical needs -- open space on Penn's campus is a highly-valued commodity. After the phase one building is completed, the obsolete biology facilities will be torn down to make room for the phase two building.

Administrators say that most of the current science facilities, in particular those used by the Biology Department, are outdated for a university of Penn's status, which prides itself on cutting-edge research. Moreover, the out-of-date settings present an obstacle to administrators who want to retain and recruit first-rate faculty.

In recent years, Penn has lost some of its strongest professors due to the limitations that the substandard facilities place on the quality and types of research that can be done.

Biology Department Chairman Andrew Binns cited numerous occasions in which a laboratory's pipes burst or its roof leaked, adding to a growing frustration among faculty members.

Administrators believe the interdisciplinary nature of the new building will be more conducive to the exchange of knowledge among the different life sciences. Together, Binns hopes, they will share research that will help innovation in many different life science fields.

"The open design of the building will foster a lot more interaction between the labs," Binns said. "That will be a very valuable intellectual resource. Ideas will start flying."

"It's going to be a very flexible modern laboratory building with state-of-the-art facilities," he added.

But while members of the faculty are excited about the possibilities the new building will create, many are disappointed that the building, first proposed nearly five years ago, remains in existence only on paper.

"There's been a recognized need for this building for quite a long time," Genomics Institute Director David Roos said. "On the one hand, there's enthusiasm for the plans moving forward as they are. On the other hand, there's some level of disappointment that this building is not open already."

At the moment, administrators hesitate to give an estimated date of completion for the new building. Phase one of the building is in the design stage, and School of Arts and Sciences Associate Dean David Balamuth said a detailed schedule is being compiled which will propose a completion date for the project.

For life sciences faculty members, the new building reflects the idea that the University recognizes the importance and quality of their work. School of Arts and Sciences Dean Samuel Preston said that the building is one of his top priorities, saying a new building is critical if Penn wants to remain at the forefront of the life sciences.

And many people involved in the endeavor could not agree more.

"Sciences and specifically biology are increasingly coming to play an important role in everyday life," Roos said. "For the School of Arts and Sciences not to have a strong commitment to the sciences would be a serious problem."

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