Thursday, September 20, 2012

What: Learn more about the academic programs, high-tech classrooms and specialized laboratories housed in the new Teaching Laboratory Building. The tour is 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 25.

The building supports the teaching and research activities in the Departments of Environmental Studies and Psychology. The tour offers media outlets opportunities to interview students, faculty and staff about their applied learning projects. Significant building features include:

• - A geographic information systems (GIS) lab that triples the space previously available for environmental studies.
• - Special psychology labs that focus on neurofeedback as a treatment for attention deficit disorder (ADD), animal and human aging and cognition, treatment of developmental disabilities, and a lab used to examine the behavioral effects of alcohol and caffeine on health.
• - Sustainable construction that includes energy efficient lighting, separate HVAC for labs and emergency generators. The building qualifies for LEED Silver certification.

Where: Teaching Laboratory Building, UNCW Campus

Directions and Parking
The Teaching Laboratory Building is located off Walton Drive, near McNeill Hall, beside parking Lot S. (Map) There will be reserved parking for media.

Demonstrations, Research and Equipment:

• - Psychology Labs
• - Real Time Kinematics (RTK) unit with satellite link up for surveying and global positioning
• - GIS Lab
• - Studies that focus on ADD, dementia and alcohol abuse
• - Studies that focus on North Carolina's coastal environment

More about the Teaching Laboratory Building:

• - 120,000 square feet; 80,000 square feet of programmable space
  - Completed ahead of schedule and under $32 million budget
  - Qualified for LEED Silver certification with energy efficient lighting, separate HVAC system for labs and emergency generators
  - Design and construction by N.C.-based businesses: Jenkins Peer Architects, Harrell Saltrick & Hopper and J.S. Clark

Media Contacts:
Andrea Weaver, Office of University Relations, weavera@uncw.edu, 910.962.7631