TU celebrates opening of Health Professions Building
New space becomes home for leading center for interprofessional health, wellness education
By JAMIE ABELL on September 13, 2024
On Thurs., Sept. 12, Towson University’s College of Health Professions, led by Dean Lisa Plowfield, held a dedication ceremony to celebrate the opening of the Health Professions Building – a 240,000-square-foot space that contributes to the college’s mission of providing outstanding experiential, interprofessional education for TU students. Joined by Maryland delegates Mark Cheng and Cathi Forbes, TU President Mark Ginsberg, faculty, staff and students, Plowfield was excited to officially invite everyone into the building.
"You have surely entered a transformational space. This building is historic for our college and our university," said Dean Plowfield. "It is where we can offer the high-tech, high-touch technology for our students to succeed. It will transform and propel us forward as we prepare Maryland’s health care workforce."
The new building contributes to the College of Health Professions’ excellence in education and preparation of professionals in health and wellness, opening about a year after the new, enhanced locations opened for the college’s Institute for Well-Being. This building in particular features advanced, high-tech classrooms, collaborative learning spaces, state-of-the art simulation facilities for hands-on learning, abundant natural light and a design centered on safe, quality health care and the health and well-being of students, faculty and staff.
"Our new building is a catalyst for students to begin their careers. I believe this is the best facility of its kind in the country," noted TU President Mark Ginsberg. “I know it will be transformative for our programs, transformative for our students. It’ll be a precious resource for our entire community—for the Towson community and for the community of health professionals in Baltimore, Maryland and our region. It is a gem and will allow our programs to continue their tradition, their legacy of excellence.”
The experiential learning environment throughout the building promotes student success by teaching how to provide quality care that positively impacts the health and well-being of the community.
Some of the specialty high-tech, high-touch, interprofessional labs include:
- Virtual body lab (Anatomage Lab)
- Makerspace
- Clinical skills lab
- Health assessments lab
- Audiology diagnostics classroom
- Occupational therapy activities of daily living lab
In addition to the labs, the sixth floor has a state-of-the-art simulation center that provides a safe and realistic environment for skill development, hands-on patient care and experiential learning in acute, multipatient and primary care.
The building also boasts a 350-seat auditorium and three rooftop gardens that invite students, faculty and staff to visit for self-care purposes as they encounter the high intensity of health care careers. Several collaboration zones throughout the building allow faculty and students to gather informally and formally as they explore research and evidence-based practice.
“This is far more than the unveiling of brick and mortar,” says Fran S. Soistman Jr. ’79, ’15 (hon.). “This building represents our belief in the power of education to transform lives—both for those who walk these halls and the countless patients that they will impact. Let it stand as a beacon of hope, collaboration and progress in the health sciences.”
As part of the design that incorporates colors, patterns and spaces to foster health and wellness, the new building is slated to achieve LEED gold certification for its energy efficiency, green impact and sustainability.
As part of the event, Plowfield invited all attendees to tour the new building to get a feel for how impactful this building will be on preparing health professionals for careers. She closed, "We are simply delighted for you to celebrate with us."
The architect for this project was Perkins&Will in association with JMT as the design team. Gilbane Building Company served as the construction manager.
About Towson University
Towson University is Maryland’s university of opportunities. With more than 150 years
of experience pushing possibilities, TU is a nationally recognized leader in inclusive excellence,
social mobility, research and discovery. As the largest university in greater Baltimore,
TU’s momentum is always accelerating, with more than 20,000 students and 100 bachelor’s,
master’s and doctoral degree programs in the liberal arts and sciences and applied
professional fields. Located amid one of the East Coast’s cultural and economic epicenters,
TU is a beacon and powerful catalyst in the Mid-Atlantic, partnering with hundreds
of businesses and organizations, impacting communities and fueling change. TU meets
the holistic needs of each student to achieve success, a result of a deeply inclusive
culture with a focus on equity among all students, faculty and staff.