Ball State University formally unveiled the future of health care October 18 when the campus community celebrated a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new Health Professions Building.
Ball State President Geoffrey S. Mearns thanked the Indiana General Assembly for supporting the University’s plan to expand health education to meet the anticipated demand of such professionals in the future.
“Today is an exciting day as we celebrate the completion of this state of-the-art building — a building that is now the home of our College of Health,” President Mearns said. “This is a milestone moment for our University, especially for our faculty, staff, and students who are benefiting from the new classrooms, labs, and clinical spaces.
“Today’s ribbon-cutting signifies the successful completion of the first phase of our University’s comprehensive plan to expand and renovate our STEM and health professions facilities. This plan will ensure the quality of our academic programs in these fields for decades to come.”
The 165,000-square-foot Health Professions Building supports innovative learning experiences where College of Health faculty and students collaborate across academic disciplines to improve patient care.
Labs are equipped with technology and equipment to assess and treat real-life situations with patients or simulation manikins. Students also work in health clinics, which are open to campus and the public.
Mitch Whaley, College of Health dean, said the building supports the University’s goal to serve our neighbors near and far.
“Our College launched in July 2016, and it represents the future of education, practice, and research in health care,” he said. “It took several years of dedicated planning by many faculty and staff to create the new College. In the same spirit, we come here today to dedicate this new building that will allow students and faculty the opportunity to engage in learning, practice, and research in an inter-professional environment. It will also provide the platform for us to collaborate with our external partners in continuing education opportunities for the healthcare workforce of the future.”
The $62.5 million steel, brick, limestone and glass structure encompasses about 165,000 square feet and has classrooms, laboratories, offices, a resource hub, simulation labs/suites, and clinical spaces.
Adjacent to the Health Professions Building the University is constructing the new Foundational Sciences Building, which is the second phase of the University’s comprehensive plan for a new East Quad. When the Foundational Science Building is completed in 2021, Ball State will then move forward with the final phase of the plan, renovating Cooper Science Complex.
“Together, these three projects represent a $210 million investment in our University,” President Mearns said. “We owe a debt of gratitude to the members of the Indiana General Assembly and to Governor Holcomb, who provided us with the financial resources to make these facilities possible.”
Rick Hall, chair of Ball State’s Board of Trustees, called the new building an incredible reminder of the importance of health and life sciences to Indiana and to the nation — and the importance of STEM education to students and their future careers.
“As Ball State enters its second century, I am optimistic that our Health Professions Building will reinforce our University’s leadership in this vital field, while setting our students apart for decades to come,” Hall said.
Named spaces in the new building and donors recognized during the ceremony include:
- CPSY Conference Room, honoring Kelly Hartman, ’89 MA ’91, president and chief executive officer of Insights Consulting and co-founder of Outside the Box.
- Children’s Playroom, honoring College of Health Dean Mitchell Whaley, MA ’82, and Cathy Whaley, ’91 MS ’00.
- College of Health Conference Room, honoring Kevin, ’82, and Jackie Rowles, ’82. He is president of Storage Solutions, and she is an anesthetist with Meridian Health Group.
- Speech Language Therapy Room, honoring Patrick, ’84 MA ’01, and Carlye McLaughlin, ’86 MA ’87, and their daughter Claire McLaughlin Baker. Patrick is an executive with CampusWorks Inc., and Carlye is a speech language pathologist at the Parkview Hospital.