UMD Breaks Ground on State-of-the-Art Science Building

DULUTH, Minn. —

It’s a day that many who work in the Chemistry Department at University of Minnesota Duluth have been looking forward to for a few years now.

“We were elated about this and we were very grateful,” said Dr. Bilin Tsai, a now-retired professor of chemistry who spent her entire 41-year career at UMD.

As faculty, students, and local government leaders line up to take part in a ceremonial ground breaking, this day marks the official beginning of a multimillion dollar project that will bring this wing of scientific study to the 21st century.

Construction will soon begin on the new Chemistry and Advanced Materials Science (CAMS) building.

“Everybody enjoys working in modern facilities,” said University of Minnesota President Eric Kaler.  “This will be a place where people can do research more effectively, more efficiently, more safely.”

Minnesota state legislators passed a bonding bill back in May that would provide $28.3 million in state funding to build the new CAMS building.

“We need to continue to invest in people.  And that means investing in higher education,” explains State Rep. Jen Schultz.

This investment comes after the legislature failed to pass the same kind of bill a year ago.

“[The 2016 bill] came to us too late and a lot of the projects for Duluth; they were not in that bonding bill, so it was a big disappointment,” Rep. Schultz said.  “But I’m glad we got it through this time.”

Inside the chemistry labs, it’s clear why a new building is so necessary.

The current building was built back in 1948 – at a time where there weren’t as many students as today.

Almost 70 years later, professors and students are just simply running out of room.

“If you look at this lab or several labs in this building, they are bench-rich, but what people need is more floor space for instrumentation, for group meetings, for putting up posters,” explains Dr. Tsai.

Dr. Tsai retired at the end of the spring semester in May, after more than four decades in this building.

She says an updated building will simply mean better science will occur here.

“Moving in to spaces that can accommodate that and support that kind of work is – that’s a very important goal,” Dr. Tsai said.

The new building is will house state-of-the-art classrooms and labs for chemistry; it will also be home to the new Advanced Materials Center.

The Advanced Materials Center will train students on the cutting edge of chemistry and engineering – 3D printing, micro-electronics, and the creation of new synthetic materials.

“It’s always a strong argument to respond to need, student need, the needs of modern science, and to be forward-thinking and to be able to do something innovative,” Dr. Tsai said.

UMD still needs to raise $14.1 million dollars to complete this project; university leadership is optimistic.

“We will do that with a combination of fundraising, philanthropy, and campus resources.  I’m sure we’ll be able to complete our part of the bargain,” President Kaler said.

Construction is scheduled to begin next week.

The project is expected to take around two years to complete.