Chemistry Building Project

As enrollments have steadily increased throughout the last two decades, the Department of Chemistry has recognized the critical importance of planning for additional space to accommodate the soaring demand for undergraduate chemistry courses.

General Chemistry 103 and 104 are the courses with the highest enrollments on campus during the fall and spring semesters, respectively. Virtually all students majoring in the sciences, engineering, and allied health fields require chemistry courses as prerequisites for courses in their majors. Therefore, the ability to accommodate large freshman general chemistry and sophomore organic chemistry enrollments is an important factor influencing time-to-degree for a significant portion of all undergraduates on campus.

In March 2013, the State of Wisconsin Building Commission voted to recommend that UW-Madison move forward with the design phase of an instructional building project. Although this recommendation does not include a formal commitment to fund the $103.5 million project, it does reflect the expectation that the Commission will fund the project in the next biennial budget (for 2015-17).

The Chemistry Building Project will help us:

• Enhance degree programs important to the Wisconsin economy, such as medicine, biotechnology, engineering, chemical and biological science, and health sciences
• Incorporate modern safety practices and safety training
• Implement modern teaching pedagogy and enhance undergraduate research
• Retain and recruit top faculty and students

The instructional addition and renovation will include:

• Expanded and renovated general chemistry labs
• New organic chemistry labs
• New analytical chemistry labs
• Three new lecture rooms
• Student support space for the Chemistry Learning Center, undergraduate advising, and student organizations
• A new space for the Chemistry Library
• Upgrades to existing air supply and exhaust systems (including HVAC)

Renderings

• View renderings of the instructional addition and renovation

Updates

• Design Phase of Chemistry Building Project Approved (March 2013)
• Chemistry Building Project Approved by UW System Board of Regents (September 2012)

Press

• Read “3 UW campuses hope to replace antiquated science labs” in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.