Ric Beard, Staff Writer

A step higher than the infamous maze called Rankin Hall, the new science building on Rivers Street will offer higher working conditions for  Appalachian State University science departments.

The $17 million facility will house the chemistry and physics departments, allowing more space at Rankin Hall for the remaining departments.

Many combinations of different departments were analyzed before coming to the decision that the two departments would be best served there.

According to Vice Chancellor of Business Affairs, Jane Helm, the need for a new building arose from larger enrollments in all of the science departments. "We'd reached the point where Rankin was not adequate to meet the science departments' needs," she said.

Helm expects construction on the building to be completed in May.
The new building will have space for labs, classrooms, faculty offices and conference rooms.

Professor of Chemistry Dr. Lawrence Brown is excited about the move.
"The labs will be much more open and well-ventilated," Brown said. "It should be a pleasant environment."

Brown said that the ventialtion in Rankin was "less than adequate" when performing normal chemical tasks involved with his labs.

Department Chairperson of Physics and Astronomy Dr. Karl Mamola, said that the physics department "has been severely overcrowded for a number of years and the space available in the new building will alleviate that situation."  Dr. Mamola said that "the additional lab space in particular will allow us to make significant improvements in the laboratory experiences we can offer our students."

Department of Chemistry Chairperson Dr. Thomas Rhyne shares Mamola's excitement about the new facility.

"Rankin is a good, solid building," he said. "But it is inadequate for all of the departments involved."

Rhyne expects that the new facility's added space will help all of the departments involved.

The new building has not yet been named.

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