A new health sciences building is going up at the University of South Dakota. And a $1 million gift will help build out a new dental clinic.
The three-story building will have 45,000 square-feet.
It will include classrooms, labs, simulation centers, and study spaces for students. The building will also feature a new dental hygiene clinic. A $1 million gift from Delta Dental will outfit the new clinic with state-of-the-art equipment.
Haifa Samra is the Dean of the School of Health Sciences. She says unifying various health sciences program into one building will improve the learning environment for students.
“Our students and faculty have been dreaming about this building for quite some time, and we are excited to soon call it home”
Over the last decade, more than four-thousand people have earned degrees from the USD school of Health Sciences. More than 60 percent live and work in South Dakota after graduation. The school contains nine departments, 22 programs, two dental hygiene clinics, and two public service centers.
Sheila Gestring is the President of the University. She says the project is financed with many different sources.
“So it was $5 million from the state of South Dakota, and four and a half million dollars form an anonymous donation. And then the balance of the 22 point five million total packages comes from higher education facility funds and the Board of Regents”
Gestring says the only disruption for students should be changes in the parking situation around campus.
The building is projected to be complete in August 20-23.