A small group of students, faculty and administration attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony in honor of the Department of Geology's new home Wednesday.
The department had been in its present headquarters in the Fine Arts Building since the beginning of this semester after being in the Cooper Science Building since its construction. Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs C. Warren Vander Hill said the department's move was one that was much needed.
"I've been here long enough to know what their previous homes were like," Vander Hill said. "This will enable the students and faculty to have outstanding space to do research and to work with students and a much more pleasant environment."
Graduate student Sarah Huson said the department's previous home in Cooper was small and much more cramped. There were no windows because of its location, and storage space was limited.
The department has a larger space in its new location, with five classroom laboratories and eight research laboratories specialized for each of the sub-disciplines, such as minerology, geochemistry and microscope work.
Graduate student Nic Brissette said he was amazed at the renovation.
"When I first saw it, I was floored," he said. "Words couldn't describe (the feeling). The new building is much more open and lively. There's a little more energy and it feels very inviting to have windows."
Alan Samuelson, chairman of the Department of Geology, said he is pleased with the new facilities and the much-needed space.
"We became a separate department after Cooper was built, so we never really had research labs for the sub-disciplines," Samuelson said. "We've been hoping for something like this for a long time."
Associate Provost Beverley Pitts said the location was necessary for the department due to the space that is much needed for areas of scientific study.
"Anytime a science discipline can get the appropriate laboratory and research space for their students, it's a wonderful advantage for faculty and students," she said. "We're so pleased this space is available and has been designed to be used so well. It expands the opportunities for studies in science."
Vander Hill said that with the new location in the Fine Arts Building, the Geology Department had come a long way.
"They've moved a short distance from their old home, but they've moved a long way in terms of having much better facilities," he said.
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