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Groundbreaking for PennWest University California’s science building, scheduled to open in 2027, took place Monday. From left: State Rep. Bud Cook; Fawn Petrosky, vice president of finance at PennWest California; Dr. Brena Fredette, chief academic officer of PennWest California; Kathy L. Pape, Trustee; Reggie McNeil of the Department of General Services; and Dr. Jonathan Anderson, president of PennWest University.
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PennWest University President Dr. Jonathan Anderson speaks at the dedication of the California Science Building on Monday.
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Declan Johnson, a student at PennWest University in California, majoring in chemistry and minoring in mathematics, spoke at the groundbreaking ceremony for the university’s new building.
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Artist rendering of PennWest’s new science building in California
CALIFORNIA – It’s a new era for science education at Pennsylvania Western University California, as the school held a groundbreaking ceremony Monday for a multimillion-dollar building that will serve as the gateway to entry for science students at the school.
“The opportunities this facility will bring to our students and faculty are limitless,” said Dr. Jonathan Anderson, president of PennWest University. “It will serve as a platform for research, hands-on learning and interdisciplinary collaboration. It’s more than a building. It’s a promise to our community and to Western Pennsylvania that we are invested in shaping the future of science and technology.
The Science Building is the newest addition to the PennWest California campus.
The 63,500 square foot facility is part of a $39 million project funded by the Department of General Services. It is expected to open its doors in early 2027 and will welcome students in biology, earth and environmental sciences, chemistry and physics.
The science building will house 17 science labs and 19 support spaces, as well as specialty labs in physics, general science, biology and chemistry, said Dr. Brenda Fredette, PennWest’s chief academic officer.
“Today we are building more than a structure. We are creating a legacy of learning, discovery and innovation that will shape our students and our world,” said Fredette.
Sustainability is a key element, and the new building is expected to use 20 percent less energy compared to similar facilities and “reflects our commitment to creating spaces that respect and enhance our environment,” Fredette said.
Once the new building is completed, Frich Hall, built in 1972, and New Science Hall, built in 1959, will be demolished and converted to open lawns for student and recreational use.
Dr. Jacqueline Knaust, interim dean of the College of Science, Technology and Business, said the new science building “is absolutely essential for us to be able to attract and retain students and faculty, and for us to be able to offer ongoing hands-on learning experiences.”
Declan Johnson, a chemistry and mathematics major at PennWest California, said the new science building will be “the beating heart of PennWest California’s science efforts.”
“It is the means by which burgeoning intellectuals will begin their journey, as well as scientists, doctors and, most importantly, educated individuals who have been taught the necessity of critical reasoning and the values of “higher education,” he said.
Johnson noted that her great-grandmother, Sarah Firestone, attended the campus nearly 100 years ago, when it was called California State Teachers College. He said the college “has grown into a broad, academically rigorous university that prepares its students for the new world ahead.”
“Fast forward almost a century,” Johnson said. “I think the students of the 1920s and 1930s would be proud of their alma mater today and how it has evolved.”