Hundreds of former graduates, donors, students, lawmakers, faculty, staff, and friends gathered at the new College of Pharmacy Building on Friday to take part in its official dedication ceremony.

The 296,000-square-foot College of Pharmacy Building opened to students in January 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic delayed its dedication ceremony until an in-person event could be held.

The college's largest two classrooms, which seat over 120 each, hosted the standing-room-only crowd, and a third room was opened. Others watched the live stream from off-site.

Doctor of Pharmacy student Milagro Michels-Cordao shared the following about the building's impact on students:

“This facility is creating stronger students today to be better equipped healthcare professionals tomorrow. This facility is the framework to save and support countless future patients. As a student, when life happens in the background, having a safe and quiet space available 24/7 to support our learning is invaluable—it becomes an academic sanctuary, our pharmacy home.”

Among the new building’s many features are:

• Twenty-three learning spaces, including classrooms, lecture halls, and conference and seminar rooms—10 more than in the former building;
• Sixteen collaborative laboratory science research 'hybrid' spaces;
• A Pharmacy Practice Learning Center, which includes a mock hospital pharmacy and a mock community pharmacy;
• A 128-seat, team-based learning lecture hall with three 220-inch projection screens and space to allow students to collaborate in teams; and
• Ample community gathering spaces to foster collaboration, support networks, and a sense of belonging;
• A focus on inclusivity by incorporating Universal Design elements;
• An expansion of UI Pharmaceuticals in the lower level, housing two automated sterile production lines and adding over 20 new team members.

To watch a recorded version of the dedication ceremony, please visit this link.