GOVERNOR BILL HASLAM HELPS LMU DEDICATE MATH AND SCIENCE BUILDING

October 12, 2012 - Harrogate, Tennessee — Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam joined Lincoln Memorial University (LMU) President B. James Dawson and Chairman Autry O.V. “Pete” DeBusk in dedicating LMU’s 140,000 square foot Math and Science Building on Friday.

“In Tennessee 22% of us over the age of 25 have a degree. Nationally it is 30% and it really needs to be about 50%,” Governor Haslam said. “You can do the math and figure out we’re going to need all the help we can get to produce those graduates we need. As Governor quite frankly, I’m thrilled that this new building is dedicated to an area where we have such a great need and where the population is saying help us produce more.”

The Math and Science Building is 140,000 square feet of state-of-the-art classroom, research, laboratory and office space. The $26 million facility houses undergraduate, graduate and professional programs of study at LMU and was partially funded through a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) loan program. It is the largest building on campus and includes a 400-seat auditorium, microscopy suite, over 4,600 square feet of research labs, a large anatomy suite with four pods, and advanced biology, chemistry and physics facilities. All of the classrooms are enabled with lecture capture and streaming capabilities and the building features complete wireless internet integration.

“This building represents a giant leap for LMU,” President B. James Dawson said. “The facility shows LMU’s commitment to advanced learning for advanced students.”

Dawson and the LMU Board of Trustees awarded Governor Haslam an Honorary Doctorate of Public Service during the ceremony. DeBusk also unveiled a tribute to “Scientists that Changed the World.” The photo display that adorns a wall on the building’s second floor recognizes the work of scientists from Oak Ridge National Labs, Y-12 and the Department of Energy. Featuring Albert Einstein, Dr. Leo Szilard, Dr. Enrico Fermi, Dr. Ernest O. Lawrence, Lieutenant General Leslie R. Groves, Dr. Eugene P. Wigner and Dr. Alvin M. Weinberg, the display pays homage to scientists who were catalysts for change in the world through the pursuit of nuclear energy. DeBusk personally coordinated the exhibit, consulting with Y-12 historian Ray Smith.

“This exhibit is meant to recognize a tremendous group of scientists who worked right here in the region and changed the world,” DeBusk said. “For our students, I hope it will serve as inspiration for their dedication to the study of science.”

The University also presented representatives from ORNL, Y-12 and the DOE with plaques in recognition of decades of support through the provision of scores of jobs to LMU graduates.

Lincoln Memorial University is a values-based learning community dedicated to providing educational experiences in the liberal arts and professional studies. The main campus is located in Harrogate, Tennessee. For more information about the undergraduate and graduate programs available at LMU, contact the Office of Admissions at 423-869-6280 or e-mail at admissions@lmunet.edu.
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CAPTION: Lincoln Memorial University Chairman Autry O.V. “Pete” DeBusk and Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam cut the ribbon on LMU’s new 140,000-square foot, state-of-the-art Math and Science Building. They are joined by LMU administration and honored guests.

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