Hugh C. Bailey Science Center
Encyclopedia
The Hugh C. Bailey Science Center at Valdosta State University
in Valdosta, Georgia
serves as the home of the Biology and Chemistry Departments. The facility is named after former VSU President Hugh C. Bailey who served from 1978 to 2001.
Contracted in 1998, the facility was scheduled to be completed by October 15, 1999 at a cost of $19,296,000. But ultimately the building was not completed until late 2000 with a greater cost of around $22.4 million. Faculty of the Biology and Chemistry departments began moving into the new structure in November of that year and classes were first held in January 2001. The structure was dedicated on April 23, 2001 and renamed in honor of High C. Bailey, former VSU president.
The student population of VSU grew from 9,000 to over 13,000 in the time since Bailey first opened in 2001. The number of biology majors had more than doubled and between 30 to 40 chemistry majors graduate each year compared to two or three in 2000. The new facilities will accommodate continued growth in science students while existing facilities will be used more for faculty and student research.
Valdosta State University
Valdosta State University, also referred to as VSU, or Valdosta State, is an American public university and is one of the two regional universities in the University System of Georgia. Valdosta State is located on a campus at the heart of the city of Valdosta...
in Valdosta, Georgia
Valdosta, Georgia
Valdosta is the county seat of Lowndes County, Georgia, United States. It is the principal city of the Valdosta Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total population of 54,518. The Valdosta metropolitan area, according to the 2010 estimate, has a population of 139,588...
serves as the home of the Biology and Chemistry Departments. The facility is named after former VSU President Hugh C. Bailey who served from 1978 to 2001.
History
Bailey Science Center came about as a means of dealing with overcrowding and the lack of space for future growth facing both the Biology and Chemistry Departments. The new science building was designed to take pressure off of Nevins Hall which had served as the science building at Valdosta State for nearly 30 years. Nevins remaining occupants after the new facility was completed and the Biology and Chemistry departments had moved included the departments of mathematics, computer science, physics, astronomy, and geo-sciences.Construction
The formal ground breaking ceremony was Sept. 26, 1996, and actual construction began in the summer of 1998 on the approximately 148000 square feet (13,749.6 m²) building. The construction contract was awarded to M.M. Parrish Construction, Inc. of Gainesville, Fla. and the building architecture was designed by Ingram, Parris Group (IPG) of Valdosta. IPG enlisted the assistance of Lord, Aeck and Sargent of Atlanta and Research Facilities Design of San Diego to lend their design expertise in the area of laboratory facilities.Contracted in 1998, the facility was scheduled to be completed by October 15, 1999 at a cost of $19,296,000. But ultimately the building was not completed until late 2000 with a greater cost of around $22.4 million. Faculty of the Biology and Chemistry departments began moving into the new structure in November of that year and classes were first held in January 2001. The structure was dedicated on April 23, 2001 and renamed in honor of High C. Bailey, former VSU president.
Expansion
A ground breaking was held on August 8, 2011 for the construction of a 15,000-square-foot addition onto the southern side of Bailey Science Center. The $5.5 million project, expected to be complete by the fall of 2012, includes two 75-seat multipurpose laboratories, two 30-seat classrooms, and 20 faculty offices.The student population of VSU grew from 9,000 to over 13,000 in the time since Bailey first opened in 2001. The number of biology majors had more than doubled and between 30 to 40 chemistry majors graduate each year compared to two or three in 2000. The new facilities will accommodate continued growth in science students while existing facilities will be used more for faculty and student research.