"A marvelous day for TU"

By Megan Bradshaw on April 17, 2018

Ground was officially broken Tuesday on a construction project along York Road that will transform both the Towson University campus and one of TU’s growing colleges.

TU held a groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday to celebrate the start of construction on a multimillion-dollar science complex, expected to be completed in fall 2020.

Guests heard remarks from David Vanko, dean of the Jess & Mildred Fisher College of Science and Mathematics; TU President Kim Schatzel; James D. Fielder, Maryland secretary of higher education; Adrienne Jones, speaker pro tem, Maryland House of Delegates; Stephen W. Lafferty, Maryland House of Delegates; James T. Brady, chair of the University System of Maryland (USM) Board of Regents; Robert L. Caret, USM chancellor; and Jeffrey Miller, D.D.S. ’78.

Taking the podium for his remarks, Brady declared, “It’s a marvelous day for TU!”

The 320,000-square foot academic and research space will be the largest academic area on TU’s campus—containing more than 50 teaching laboratories, 30 research laboratories, and 50 classrooms supporting mentor-based teaching and modern scientific research.

“Our new science complex will house STEM faculty who are the architects of opportunity,” said Schatzel. “We are producing Maryland’s next generation of science and health care professionals, and we are proud to provide the fuel for Maryland’s economies in those in-demand fields.”

The state-of-the-art facility will prepare TU students to become well-educated, highly skilled graduates ready to take their places in workforce and leadership positions throughout the region, state and beyond.

Although one in five TU students elects a major inside Fisher College, most TU students will also take classes in the new complex to fulfill core requirements.

“This complex will not only support excellent faculty and students but also the achievements of the degree programs in the College of Health Professions,” Schatzel continued. “Fisher and CHP have grown 120 percent over the last 10 years and together they produce 40 percent of our graduates. We are the No. 1 producer of health care professionals and STEM graduates, more than any other public or private institution in the state.”

Enrollment in the Fisher College has more than doubled in the last 10 years to over 4,200 students. When Smith Hall was built in the mid-‘60s, the entire institution enrolled just over 3,500.

“Towson University is participating in an adventure,” said Caret. “You can see it in the growth, and that adventure is critical to the institution and the students it serves.”

The complex will be constructed to meet TU's green building standards and is expected to achieve LEED Silver certification. 

The new science complex is part of a series of renovation and new construction projects that will transform the TU campus. Earlier this year, a 94,000-square-foot expansion to Burdick Hall opened, the renovations of Residence Tower are ongoing, and the administration recently announced a major renovation to the University Union. In addition, TU officials continue to work to secure funding and approvals for a College of Health Professions building.

For more information and renderings of the completed project, visit the new science complex website.

This story is one of several related to President Kim Schatzel's priorities for Towson University: Strategic Plan Alignment.