Construction of research facility gets underway

By Laura Deneau

Daily Staff Reporter

State Sen. Bill Schuette (R-Midland) presented the College of Engineering with a check for $1 million yesterday. The check is a down payment on a gift of $5 million the Rollin M. Gerstacker Foundation of Midland donated for a new research facility on North Campus.

"We think we're good for the rest," Schuette said at the groundbreaking. The Gerstacker Foundation has also donated $3 million to the University in the past.

The gift will go toward the construction of the new facility to be added onto the IST High-Bay Building. The facility will be named in honor of Carl Gerstacker, a 1938 Michigan Engineering alum and former chairman of Dow Chemical Company.

Dean of Engineering Stephen Director and University Chief Financial Officer Robert Kasdin also spoke at yesterday's ceremonies. Esther Gerstacker, widow of Carl Gerstacker, four other Gerstacker foundation officers and trustees present at the groundbreaking, finished the ceremony by shoveling four small holes in the earth.

The four holes are just the beginning of what will be a 31,000 square-foot facility. Construction is scheduled to begin in January. The first two floors of the building will house the University's department of biomedical engineering.

"Its going to provide a new home for our newest academic department," said Judith Pitney, executive director of budget and planning for the College of Engineering. The biomedical engineering program began as an academic department four years ago, she said.

Laboratories and offices for biomedical engineering faculty will be included in the facility. The department plans to conduct research in medical imaging, pulmonary mechanics and molecular and cellular biomechanics.

"The facility will enhance our position as leaders in this incredibly important field," Director said. "It's truly an exciting time to be investing in biomedical research."

The Gerstacker facility has laboratories and research space planned for the Center for Ultrafast Optical Science and the department of materials science and engineering. The labs will include improved facilities with ventilation systems that comply with current standards.

"This is the largest check the Gerstacker Foundation has ever given to anybody" in its 43-year history Esther Gerstacker said yesterday.

The remainder of the donation give support to the Engineering college through endowments for graduate fellowships and faculty development.

"This donation will help build on the interdisciplinary work that is seen throughout the country as the cutting edge of the way this kind of research is done," Kasdin said.

The contractor will be on-site in January when construction for the building will start, Pitney said.

"The building is set back from the street so it shouldn't affect traffic," said Patricia Majher, a College of Engineering spokeswoman.

"It'll be interesting architecturally to fit them all together," Engineering Prof. Charles Cain said as he surveyed the building site and surrounding buildings yesterday. Cain will occupy laboratory space in the new building and is a founding chair member of the building's committee.

MARJORIE MARSHALL/Daily

The Department of Materials Science and Engineering holds a ground breaking on North Campus for a new building.