New and old students will see a few projects under construction as they return to the Grand Valley State University Allendale Campus for the fall semester. One of those projects getting the final touches is the newly-completed science building, located next to the Laker Marketplace and across from the Padnos Hall of Science. On Friday, the structure was dedicated as the P. Douglas Kindschi Hall of Science to honor the longtime professor and current director of the Kaufman Interfaith Institute.

The new science building includes nine classrooms, 15 teaching laboratories, 14 faculty and student research laboratories, study spaces, offices and a greenhouse. The biology and movement science departments have also made their home there. When they are not busy with classes, students and professors can take a break and enjoy the greenhouse, which is dedicated for Barbara Kindschi and her love of gardening.

Although the $55 million building was primarily funded by the state of Michigan, the university and private donors also made financial contributions. This collaboration shows the community coming together in an effort to improve the facilities and resources dedicated to the sciences at GVSU.

The addition of the P. Douglas Kindschi Hall of Science is a beneficial one to have at GVSU. There are approximately 25,000 students currently enrolled at the university. Of these, about 3,700 are students in the biology and movement science departments, who will use the building for their classes and labs.

In addition to the academic benefits, the building brings with it more options for food on campus. A short walk through the connector hallway leads students to Starbucks for their coffee fix and Which Wich Superior Sandwiches for a high quality, made-to-order lunch. With a record number of freshmen on campus this year, most of whom have meal plans, the added food options are a much needed and important addition.

While the new science hall will primarily feature the biology and movement science departments, the added lab space will benefit all students taking science courses. These additional lab spaces will allow for more lab sections, alleviating the scheduling headache labs can often cause.

The newly-created classrooms and offices will also facilitate more hands-on learning for science students, which may lead to more undergraduate and graduate research at the university.

The P. Douglas Kindschi Hall of Science is an essential part of our ever-growing campus, and honors an integral member of the GVSU community. Students and professors will have space for classes, studying and lab work, all of which are a huge bonus for the always-growing science fields that have moved in to their new campus home.