NORFOLK, Va. — Old Dominion University is celebrating its expanding footprint this week with three new facilities dedicated to STEM-H education.
The new facilities, two that are open and one set to open in two years, represent a collective $213 million investment, according to a news release.
On Tuesday, ODU dedicated the new $75.6 million Chemistry building that will house the Chemistry and Biochemistry departments.
The 110,000-square-foot facility will expand the school's chemistry and biochemistry educational programs and conduct more advanced research. That means ODU can increase its recruitment of more high-quality professors.
The building will have 24 research labs, 13 teaching labs and an open-design concept with 174 windows.
It will also house the Michael and Kimthanh Lê Digital Theater & Planetarium. The 122-seat facility will double as an advanced chemistry and biochemistry classroom.
The planetarium has a $900,000 high-resolution, dual-laser system that will project images on a 49-foot dome in 4-K. It will allow professors to project three-dimensional proteins and molecules on the dome, as well as notes and videos, all at the same time.
At 40%, ODU graduates the second-highest rate of students in STEM-H among doctoral institutions in Virginia.
Later this week, ODU will virtually celebrate the new $74.9 million Health Sciences Building, which is scheduled to open in the summer of 2023. The facility will house four programs, including ODU’s physical therapy and dental hygiene clinics.
The Hugo A. Owens House will officially open on Thursday. The $62.5 million residential facility will house 470 students, including many who will major in STEM-H disciplines.
