Lincoln, Neb., Nov. 6, 2003 -- University of Nebraska-Lincoln officials announced today a major three-part initiative to increase research space on campus as well as renovate and add to Athletic Department facilities.
UNL Chancellor Harvey Perlman said the projects totaling $65 million would result in a new building dedicated to virology research, renovated space for the Department of Computer Science and Engineering and significant upgrades for the Athletic Department and Memorial Stadium.
The announcement was made jointly by Perlman, UNL Vice Chancellor for Research Prem Paul, and Athletic Director Steve Pederson.
The projects will be funded by a private fund-raising effort as part of the University of Nebraska Foundation's overall plan to address the university's building and academic priorities.
The Athletic Department, which receives no state funding or university fees, will launch a $40 million drive that will raise funds for new athletic facilities and will expand the seating capacity of Memorial Stadium to 80,000. The fund-raising drive, titled "The Husker Nation Championship Drive...Building on Tradition, Investing in the Future," will begin immediately and calls for assistance from each and every Husker supporter, Pederson said.
Conceptual plans include a ground-level Performance Center that will be built within the current Schulte Field House at the north end of the stadium, where architects will preserve the field house's beautiful and historic windows. In addition to strength training and conditioning facilities and reconditioning and rehabilitation stations, a nutrition center and the base floor of the state-of-the-art athletic medicine center will be housed in the Performance Center. Field level will include the athletic medicine headquarters, a spacious locker room and football equipment room. The third and fourth levels of the four-story Athletic Complex will house the football coaches and administrative offices.
"This project is focused on the people we care about the most, our student-athletes and our fans," Pederson said. "With this project, we will expand seating and improve game-day amenities for our fans, provide the best facilities for our coaches and student-athletes to teach and train, and present a beautiful and unique front door to recruits."
The Athletic Complex will be attached to a new indoor workout facility that will be utilized by football and at least 10 other Husker varsity sports. Two natural grass fields will be positioned between the new indoor workout facility and Cook Pavilion, Nebraska's shared indoor workout field that was built in connection with the Sapp Recreation Center in 1987.
After moving the Athletic Department offices to the new facility in North Stadium, the South Stadium office building will be donated to UNL for use by the Department of Computer Science and Engineering. Valued at approximately $10 million, this is the second gift of $10 million or more from the Athletic Department to UNL academic facilities. The athletic department also contributed $14.9 million to the Sapp Recreation Center in 1987 and donates $1.5 million each year to academic programs.
"The Athletic Department has been a valuable partner in carrying out the academic mission of this university," Perlman said.
The South Stadium building is next to Avery Hall, which is under renovation to house some computer science and engineering research and education activities. The conversion of South Stadium will negate the need to build a new structure to relieve overcrowding in computer science and engineering courses and labs.
"We've actually had students standing in line to get a space in a computer lab, and had to turn away many students who wanted to enroll in computer science classes due to lack of capacity," said Richard Sincovec, chairman of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering.
"This will go a long way in alleviating those space concerns. It will also allow us to move the PrairieFire Super Computer, now housed in leased space in the Miller & Paine Building in downtown Lincoln, to the campus, where it will be more accessible to faculty and students."
A second component of the overall plan calls for a new virology building, which would be sited on East Campus to take advantage of infrastructure already in place and to locate the scientists near an existing core of researchers. The building, which would cost an estimated $15 million, is the first phase of an initiative to build more research space for a growing number of federally funded research projects at UNL.
The George W. Beadle Center for Genetics and Biomaterials Research, dedicated in 1995, is bursting at the seams, Paul said. Several large research teams work in the Beadle Center, including scientists in the Nebraska Center for Virology. Those scientists study viruses that cause a variety of human, animal and plant diseases and the center's scientists hold more than $19 million in federal grants to study viruses and virus-related cancers, Paul said.
"The investment in a new virology building will benefit Nebraska's economy and add to our growing reputation as a leader in research," Paul said.
Perlman said the joint announcement is unique and historic.
"This announcement represents a collective effort to leverage our successes and create powerful opportunities that benefit the entire university," he said. "I fully recognize that obtaining state funding for any of these projects is unlikely; nonetheless these facilities are critical to the success of the programs they house and they represent our hope that we can secure donor support, and in some instances, federal funds to make each of these a reality."
CONTACTS: Meg Lauerman, Director, University Communications, (402) 472-0088 or 472-0296; and
Chris Anderson, Director, Sports Information, (402) 472-2263
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Posted by Tom Simons, Office of University Communications
Phone: (402) 472-8514, Fax: (402) 472-7825