[August 25, 2011] Science building open for business Tweet Aug 25, 2011 (Odessa American - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- ODESSA, Texas -- Eight years of planning are over. Now the learning begins. The University of Texas of the Permian Basin's new $54 million Science and Technology building opened with the start of classes Monday. And after years in the remote Founders Building Complex, considered either the first or oldest buildings on campus depending on how kind you want to be, biology and chemistry classes have a sparkling new home. "It's a very nice building compared to what we had," junior chemistry major Marissa San Miguel of Odessa said. "We each have our own lab space. We're not having to share with a partner." The new building, which also includes computer science and information technology departments, has other advantages, Kyle Beran, associate chemistry professor and associate dean of the college of arts and sciences, said. The new laboratories are equipped with more and better fume hoods that suck noxious gases out of the building. This allows students to safely conduct more experiments than they could before. "The safety conditions in the new building are so much better than the old building," he said. "It's really been able to diversify what we've been able to introduce the students to." The 100,000 square foot building was first planned in 2003. While UTPB initially looked to move all its science classes there, plans were curtailed when the building received state funding in 2006 after the oil boom drove up construction costs. It now includes the chemistry and physics departments on the first floor. Biology takes up the second floor, along with computer science and information technology. Geology classes remain in the nearby Mesa Building. "Like any new building, we had a few hiccups, but it's better," Roy Williams, a post-baccalaureate biochemistry student said. Along with offices for 32 faculty members, the building has 32 research and teaching labs, a 200-seat lecture hall and two 100-seat lecture halls. "It's a good thing to have it," Williams said. "We all benefit from having all the science faculty in one place." Along with labs with twice as many fume hoods, the chemistry department has a new high-caliber laser system. The biology department gets a new low-temperature freezer that can cool as low as minus 121 degrees, as well as a table-top X-ray film processor. "There's kind of been a disconnect between the chemistry classes and the rest of the university," Beran said. "This will help foster a more dynamic academic environment." @OAschools ___ (c)2011 Odessa American (Odessa, Texas) Visit Odessa American (Odessa, Texas) at www.oaoa.com Distributed by MCT Information Services [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]