New facilities to revamp Engineering programs

As part of a vast renovation project of its facilities, the Engineering School has two new buildings -- Levine Hall and Skirkanich Hall -- in the works, allowing many departments to expand beyond the narrow spaces they occupy today. The first of the two new structures, Levine Hall, is almost completed, with workers currently adding the finishing touches. "The official grand opening is April 15," Vice President for Facilities and Real Estate Services Omar Blaik said. "But the school is going to take full occupancy by the first week of February." The structure will house the Computer and Information Science Department. Once Levine Hall is completed, the Engineering School will have another large project on its plate -- the construction of Skirkanich Hall is scheduled to start very soon, probably at the beginning of the next academic year. As for the conclusion of the works, Director of Special Projects and Communications Sandra Rathman said, "They are shooting for 2005 for completion." "All is going very well, and we think that the project is going to be moving along as we were expecting," Blaik said. According to plans, Pender Laboratory on 33rd and Walnut streets should be demolished in the fall to make way for the new facility. However, officials have proposed to bump up the process to this summer, so as to incur the least amount of disturbance possible. Plans for Levine Hall started when Melvin and Claire Levine donated $5 million of the $20 million necessary for the construction of the new building. The remainder of the money needed for construction was generated through fundraising. Like the Levine building, plans for Skirkanich Hall also originally grew out of a large donation. University alumnus, Penn Trustee and Engineering School overseer Peter Skirkanich and his wife Geri pledged $10 million for the construction of what is destined to become the new home of the Bioengineering Department. Construction will also be funded by the $14 million Leadership-Development Award from the Whitaker Foundation given to the Bioengineering Department. This grant was won by Bioengineering Department Chairman Daniel Hammer, an Alfred G. and Meta A. Ennis professor of bioengineering. "Bioengineering is the fastest growing field, not only at Penn, but nationwide," Hammer said, adding that he believes this field to be "the next big thing." Bioengineering is currently the only department that does not have its own building. This makes the construction of Skirkarnich Hall a necessity considering that bioengineering is the second-most popular major within the Engineering School, with a quarter of its 2005 and 2006 classes enrolled in it. Both halls will contain laboratories, offices, classrooms and conference rooms. Administrators consider the facilities to be of fundamental importance to the school, as they will provide spaces for the development of various disciplines. To maximize the potential of these new additions, more than ten new faculty members have been hired.