{"id":108015,"date":"2021-10-25T12:00:20","date_gmt":"2021-10-25T17:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.olemiss.edu\/?p=108015"},"modified":"2021-10-28T11:53:01","modified_gmt":"2021-10-28T16:53:01","slug":"groundbreaking-set-for-friday-on-duff-center","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/web20.olemiss.edu\/news\/wordpress\/groundbreaking-set-for-friday-on-duff-center\/","title":{"rendered":"Groundbreaking Set for Friday on Duff Center"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The university hosts the ceremonial groundbreaking for the Jim and Thomas Duff Center for Science and Technology Innovation at 10 a.m. Friday (Oct. 29). The 202,000-square-foot facility is the largest single building project ever on the Oxford campus.<\/p><\/div>\n

OXFORD, Miss. \u2013 University of Mississippi<\/a> leaders, U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, donors Jim and Thomas Duff, and others will ceremonially break ground Friday (Oct. 29) on the largest single construction project in the history of the Oxford campus, leading the way for more students to pursue science, technology, engineering and mathematics careers.<\/p>\n

The Jim and Thomas Duff Center for Science and Technology Innovation is projected to be among the nation\u2019s top student-centered learning environments for STEM education. With a focus on increasing job opportunities and boosting the economy, the Hattiesburg leaders and brothers have committed $26 million to the construction of the 202,000-square-foot building. Its $175 million total project cost includes roughly $135 million in construction expenses.<\/p>\n

William Yates of Yates Construction Co., which will build the facility, also will speak at the public event, set for 10 a.m. The Duff Center will be in the Science District, with one side facing the Grove and another facing Vaught-Hemingway Stadium and The Sandy and John Black Pavilion at Ole Miss.<\/p>\n

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The Jim and Thomas Duff Center for Science and Technology Innovation will house a student success and supplemental instruction center and a food service area within a central social hub. The facility also will feature technology-enabled active learning, or TEAL, traditional labs and a 3D visualization lab.<\/p><\/div>\n

UM Chancellor Glenn Boyce said the project signals the university\u2019s commitment to producing graduates well-prepared for fields flush with career opportunities and applauded the Duff family and the Gertrude C. Ford Foundation for their major support.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a critical need to increase the number of graduates in STEM fields to support growth and innovation in our state, region and nation,\u201d he said. \u201cJim and Tommy Duff\u2019s tremendous support will help strengthen the pipeline for training engineers, tech entrepreneurs, and science and math teachers.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Duffs, the Ford Foundation, the state of Mississippi and many other alumni and friends have joined our efforts to enrich educational opportunities in Mississippi, and their investments will have a significant return. In the coming years, STEM job creation will outpace non-STEM jobs, and STEM professionals will earn higher salaries, yielding more attractive opportunities for our students in Mississippi and beyond.\u201d<\/p>\n