The Rita Liddy Hollings Science Center reopened in 2019 after undergoing a six-year, $65 million renovation. The 149,000-sq.-ft. facility has 27 student teaching labs, along with 34 faculty research labs, all with special gas, electrical and water lines – including emergency showers in the halls.
Rita by the numbers:
- 27 6-inch telescope mounts on the new observation deck for use in the astronomy lab as well as during monthly open houses.
- 1 24-inch PlaneWave telescope – the most powerful in the state – with a 2.25-times larger collecting area. A new fork mount isolated from the cement floor vastly mitigates building vibrations, which severely impacted the effectiveness of the previous telescope.
- 52 faculty and staff offices.
- 7 cutting-edge AV classrooms.
- 207-seat auditorium with a classroom partition that can seat 112 more.
- 7 digital displays throughout the building, allowing faculty and staff to inform students about special learning opportunities, events and important deadlines.
- 3 24-station computer labs.
- 2 Green Globes from the Green Building Initiative for its sustainable design features, such as a rainwater retention system and improved air quality.
Address
58 Coming St.
Related
Department of Biology
Department of Physics and Astronomy
School of Natural and Environmental Sciences