The ribbon-cutting ceremonies for Hand Chemical Laboratory and Bowen Hall, which were originally scheduled for Saturday, have been postponed.
The Hand Lab ceremony has been rescheduled for Oct. 23. The ceremony for Bowen Hall, home of both the political science department and the department of sociology, anthropology and social work, will be held Oct. 30, said Danette Barrier, administrative assistant to the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
Renovations on Hand have been going on for more than eight years, said Keith Mead, head of the chemistry department. The project was funded partly by the National Science Foundation, but mostly by the State of Mississippi.
The chemistry department has already moved back into the building, Mead said. “The research labs were gutted and renovated,” Mead said. “They were done so in a way to maximize space efficiency.”
More fume hoods, which allow chemists to safely handle hazardous chemicals, were installed in the research labs to address safety concerns. Teaching labs also were equipped with fume hoods, allowing students to learn in a safer environment.
“They will be working in a better environment,” Mead said.
Bowen Hall has also seen improvements, said David Breaux, head of the political science department.
Improvements include two teaching theaters on the second floor, new tiered classrooms on the first floor, the use of the third floor by the two departments and a better physical appearance.
“With the new classrooms, with the computer labs, it will allow us to use technology better,” Breaux said.
The department should move back into Bowen Hall around Thanksgiving or over Christmas break, Breaux said.