Campus Enhancements

Â鶹ÊÓƵAPK University has invested millions of dollars to create a first-class residential campus in downtown Â鶹ÊÓƵAPK-Barre. Campus enhancements focus on enhancing the education experience and quality of life for students on campus as well as those who learn online, while contributing to the revitalization of our home city.

Ongoing & Recent Projects

Nesbitt School of Pharmacy

Sample rendering of Nesbitt School of Pharmacy enhancements

Highlights of the Nesbitt School enhancements include:

  • Four new classrooms of varying sizes holding up to 24 to 90 students
  • Two new collaboration rooms capable of holding up to 12 individuals
  • One new Care Lab with six collaboration desks and 30 moveable seats
  • One new conference room for 20 individuals

New classrooms, labs and collaboration spaces significantly enhance Â鶹ÊÓƵAPK' pharmacy facilities located in Stark Learning Center while continuing to produce graduates who are ready to meet the needs of 21st century health care. The project is partially funded through a $2 million in Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program funding from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In addition, support from Â鶹ÊÓƵAPK alumnus Jason Griggs helped fund these improvements, creating the new Griggs Pharmacy Center.

Moveable seating, new projection technology, powered retractable screens, visual display boards and television monitors that can be seen from every corner of the rooms usher in an enhanced era of cutting-edge teaching and scholarship, hands-on learning and mentoring.

In addition, the exterior portals facing S. River St. on the first floor of Stark Learning Center have been enclosed with glass, beautifying the space inside and out while creating the best environment for learning and scholarship. 

Construction began during spring break 2022 and is anticipated to be completed during the fall 2022 semester.

Stark Learning Center

Exterior of Stark Learning Center

The Stark Learning Center enhancements will beautify the center's exterior while improving the lab spaces.

Enhancements to several engineering labs included new flooring, ceilings, energy-efficient lighting, white boards and lab benches. New windows enhanced visibility while flexible doors allow ease in collaborating and moving equipment between lab spaces. In addition, facade enhancements on the upper floors of the building beautify the exterior of the building with new energy-efficient windows. This project concluded in August 2022.

Streetscape Improvements

View of streetscaping improvements in front of the Simms Center, Sordoni Art Gallery and Karambelas Center.
Â鶹ÊÓƵAPK has reinforced its role as a community partner adding, improving and repairing sidewalks, curbs, crosswalks and other streetscape features.

Since 2017, Â鶹ÊÓƵAPK University has completed streetscape enhancements on several blocks surrounding campus and in downtown Â鶹ÊÓƵAPK-Barre, reinforcing its role as a community partner. Enhancements include new sidewalks, trees lighting, curb repairs and raised crosswalks in select areas to aid in the safety of pedestrian traffic.

In summer 2022, the next phase of the project will continue on S. Franklin and W. South streets in the block of the Arnaud C. Marts Center. In addition, a new pedestrian walkway will be installed near the Ralston Athletic Complex.

These projects are primarily funded by grant funding from the Transportation Alternatives Program administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. The latest phase of the projects starts in May and will continue intermittently through the summer of 2023.

Henry's Dining Hall

Renders of Henry's Dining Hall enhancements

A renovated dining experience awaits students at Henry's Dining Hall.

An enhanced dining hall greeted students returning to campus in fall 2022. New grills, food lines and a more suitable flow complement the dining experience at Â鶹ÊÓƵAPK.

South Main Street Lighted Sign

South Main Street Â鶹ÊÓƵAPK University Sign during daytime

The latest of campus-wide signage, the lit signage establishes the Â鶹ÊÓƵAPK campus to visitors and pedestrian traffic.

A new sign on the pedestrian bridge above S. Main St. is a continuation of campus-wide signage enhancements. It establishes the Â鶹ÊÓƵAPK campus to pedestrian and foot traffic and visitors on a busy thoroughfare. At night, the sign is lit, ensuring that the Â鶹ÊÓƵAPK name is clear to all. This was completed in April 2022.

Past Campus Enhancements

Student athletes celebrate a win by ringing the bell on Bruggeworth Field.
Ralston Athletic Complex (2019)

Â鶹ÊÓƵAPK University will create one of the finest Division III athletic complexes in the Northeast with the addition of a new baseball stadium and a second turf field at the Ralston Athletic Complex. Plans for the project include improvements to walkways and gates, as well as spectator conveniences throughout the complex.

Students and faculty working in Mark Engineering Center lab.
Mark Engineering Center (2018)

The 23,000-square-foot Mark Engineering Center is the result of a 16-month, $8 million renovation to engineering facilities in Stark Learning Center. Designed with student/faculty collaboration and real-world application in mind, the Mark Engineering Center features state-of-the-art, flexible laboratory and learning space in disciplines including nanotechnology, additive manufacturing and bioengineering. Stark’s refurbished façade also helps to beautify the center of campus.

Students walking near the South Campus Gateway.
South Campus Gateway (2018)

The South Campus Gateway Project continues the theme of the Karambelas East Campus Gateway and links the heart of campus to the Henry Student Center. The project helps transform Â鶹ÊÓƵAPK into a more traditional and beautiful residential campus while improving safety and traffic flow for vehicles and pedestrians. Highlights include new entrances to the Henry Student Center parking lot from South River Street and South Franklin Street and an expanded south entrance to the student center complete with landscaping and outdoor seating.

Students work in one of the Karambelas Media and Communication Center media labs.
Karambelas Media and Communication Center/Sordoni Art Gallery (2017)

The Karambelas Media and Communication Center consolidates all communication and media studies activities into one modern facility. The center includes classrooms, offices, state-of-the-art equipment, a centralized newsroom, a high-definition TV studio, a radio studio and a fully renovated exterior. The expanded Sordoni Art Gallery can now host high-profile exhibits by renowned artists. The new location provides higher visibility and greater accessibility to the campus community, the arts community and the general public, and contributes to downtown revitalization.

Students perform research at the NeuroTraining and Research Center.
NeuroTraining and Research Center (2016)

The NeuroTraining and Research Center, the only one of its kind in the northeastern Pennsylvania, uses the latest scientific research on brain function to teach techniques that help individuals to improve focus, attention and psychological well-being. The center, located in Breiseth Hall, features state-of-the-art equipment and provides research and internship opportunities for Â鶹ÊÓƵAPK students studying psychology and neuroscience. Training techniques can benefit anyone seeking to improve focus, reduce stress and increase calmness.

Students walk through the Karambelas East Campus Gateway.
Karambelas East Campus Gateway (2015)

The Karambelas East Campus Gateway connects Main Street to the heart of campus, graced at the entrance by a decorative archway. Pedestrian crosswalks on South Main and South Franklin streets slow vehicle traffic and enhance safety. The grand walkway features an 18-foot-tall clock, 11 classic lamp posts, 47,700 paver bricks, and more than 2,000 plants and trees, including five red maples, 1,000 pachysandra, 55 wood ferns and 27 oakleaf hydrangeas.

Students working on coursework at Â鶹ÊÓƵAPK University's Sidhu School.
Sidhu School of Business and Leadership (2014)

The Sidhu School of Business and Leadership, located in the Ron & Rhea Simms Center on Main, houses state-of-the-art equipment. This includes the Cardell Finance Center, a financial market trading room that simulates a New York Stock Exchange trading floor complete with an electronic stock ticker, smart classrooms, faculty offices, student meeting rooms and club space for collaboration. The Sidhu School provides the ideal setting for a distinctive program that includes both academic coursework and a focus on personal and professional development to cultivate the next generation of business leaders.

Cohen Science Center lit at night
Cohen Science Center (2013)

The $35 million Lawrence and Sally Cohen Science Center houses the University’s award-winning departments of Biology, Chemistry and Biochemistry and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences. It features state-of-the-art equipment and related laboratory space for hands-on, experiential learning — a hallmark of the Â鶹ÊÓƵAPK experience. The third floor is dedicated to research laboratories for biology, chemistry and environmental research, encouraging interdisciplinary connections and faculty-student team interactions. Green features include energy-efficient lighting, energy-saving windows and a partially vegetated roof.