Resch Science & Technology Hall Makeover

Resch Science & Technology Hall

The following are letters from Math and Science Division Chair, and Associate Professor of Chemistry Dan Pratt  and news items concerning the process of remodeling of the Platz-Mortimore Science Building into the beautiful new Resch Science and Technology Hall, opened for classes in September 2009.

October 2009 - Dedication and Ribbon Cutting at Homecoming.

The long-awaited dedication of Graceland's new Resch Science and Technology Hall took place last Saturday during GU's frost-bitten Homecoming weekend. The year-long transformation of the old Platz-Mortimore Science Hall into the state-of-the-art Resch Hall was celebrated "indoors" because of the frigid temperatures but dignitaries gathered at the entrance to the new building for an official ribbon cutting. Shown, from left to right, are Mike Zabel, Bob Bruch, Orman Brooner, Sherri Kirkpatrick, Vicki Ross, Sharon and Richard ‘Dick' Resch (capstone donors for the project), Ken McClain (Chair of GU's Board of Trustees), Graceland President John Sellars, Dwayne Shannon and Jay Newcom. (Zabel, Bruch, Brooner, Ross, Shannon and Newcom are all members of the GU Board of Trustees). More than 300 people attended the dedication ceremony in Zimmermann Hall during which Mr. Resch recounted his Graceland college days in the 1950s and gave his blessings that the new building will serve many generations of Graceland science students in the future. Classes began in Resch Hall in September.

August 2009 - Greetings from "the Hill" - the building is open.

It is hard to believe that the project to renovate Platz-Mortimore began in February of 2008 when the Board of Trustees made the decision to move forward. As all of you know the faculty and students spent the next few months packing, and packing and packing preparing for the big move. There is no question that the 2008-09 academic year will be long remembered. It has been a challenging year for the division and the students as we spread throughout the campus for classes, labs and offices. The inconvenience has definitely been worthwhile.

As I make one of my last updates to this journal, I cannot begin to tell you how exciting it was to watch as the walls came tumbling down during the demolition and then were built back up as the blueprints turned to mortar and brick. The classroom, lab, office and student lounge spaces are everything that we had hoped for. We are definitely state-of-the-art. The new two-story entry adds a whole new dimension to the building. It really makes the place feel warm and inviting. The main hallway, where all the faculty offices are, provides additional openness and light with their glass walls.

The two student lounges will provide a comfortable place for students to sit and study, or visit prior to class. Two of our large classrooms sport dual data projectors which enables our students to have a clear view of any presentation. All of the classrooms sport multiple boards for lectures and for students to work homework problems. Did I also mention that the building is now air-conditioned? What a relief. The building is now fully handicap accessible, including the tables in the labs, the hoods as well as complete with an elevator!

The labs are now equipped with high tech hood systems and an abundance of storage spaces. The labs also come equipped with full audio visual systems. Perhaps the most unusual looking lab is our new anatomy and physiology lab. It sports a unique hood system that ends in articulated arms that allow a student to place the exhaust system directly over any specimen they are working with. Our new greenhouse is also near completion. The move in process has begun and we will be starting classes on the first of September in our new building.

The renovation is already having a tremendous impact on our recruiting efforts. I was told that five students took a tour during SPECTACULAR and went directly to admissions to sign up for classes this fall. Another student left SPEC and was at her new student orientation at a state school when she called admissions to find out about coming to GU this fall.

As the Chair of the Division of Science and Math I would like to extend a special thanks to those that have worked so hard on this project. It would not have been possible without a huge team effort. The architecture firm of Gould Evans took the faculty's needs and wants and transformed them into a completely new space on paper. JE Dunn took those blueprints and transformed them into a reality. Kurt Remmenga, Kam Mahi, Janice Tiffany, Kelly Everett and all their respective staff have done their part to insure that we have the best audio visual, computer, heating/cooling system, classrooms and lab spaces.

I would like to especially thank the Resch family and all the other donors who have made this project a success, and President John Sellars and the Board of Trustees for their vision. You have given our students both present and future a priceless opportunity. The Resch Science and Technology Hall is the catalyst that will take our science and math programs to a whole new level.

Please stop by and see us the next time you are in Lamoni. We will be having the official dedication during Homecoming of this year. If you have questions that I might be able to answer please feel free to contact me at 641-784-5281 or pratt@graceland.edu.

Sincerely yours,
Daniel Pratt, Ph.D.
Chair, Division of Science and Math
Associate Professor of Chemistry

April through June progress

Since midMarch, almost all of the interior construction has been completed at the Reach Science & Techology Hall.  The chiller plant has been connected to the science building - providing central air conditioning. On June 18th, the chainlink fence was removed from the front courtyard of the building and exterior landscaping was begun.

March 2009 Letter from Division Chair Dan Pratt

There has been a tremendous amount of activity since January. A large cage on the roof now holds monster tubes which will vent air in and out of the lab hoods, classrooms and the offices. It has been an impressive sight to watch the metal framing on the roof being pieced together like a giant erector set. It has been COLD in Lamoni the last couple of months and you have to hand it to the workmen up on the roof, braced against this eternal wind we've had. The main part of the building has been encased in plastic to keep workers warm and provide a temperature conducive to pouring concrete.  

The interior of the building continues to undergo significant changes. This past month the science and math faculty, plus a number of students, took a tour of the building. Kurt Remmenga, our Director of Facility Services, was kind enough to come along as our tour guide and answer all of our questions. We joked about who would get each of the new offices. We are even looking at utilizing some of the office spaces for our invaluable lab assistants. Everyone is looking forward to the great new classrooms, labs and offices.

Coming in on the basement level you no longer find a mud floor but newly poured concrete. The contractors continue to do an amazing job. The hole for the new elevator is evolving and the machinery will be installed in the coming months. As you climb the new staircase and walk through the building you see not only numerous shiny aluminum studs but miles of copper piping, conduit and duct work. The plumbing for the bathrooms is well underway. The building is really taking shape. According to Kurt Remmenga, JEDunn, the construction company, is right on schedule and things are looking good.

This brings me to yet one more thing that we are looking forward to. Do you remember the days in the chemistry labs when we had to use the steam cones? In the fall and spring it seemed like a sauna. Our goggles got so fogged up you could barely see. The steam cones have been gone for a long time now. However, controlling the temperature of the building has continued to be a challenge. This fall will bring a new heating and cooling system that will make the learning experience far better for our student. We will also have something called a 'Phoenix' valve installed that will make the heating and cooling even better. We will no longer need to yell over the din of the window mounted air conditioners. What a relief!    

Architectural firm Gould Evans' interior designer Nicole has also been hard at work. She is responsible for color and blending all the interior pieces together. We have looked at Teacup Loveseats and Chairs, Rado Occasional Tables and All Terrain Instructor's Desks. We have also looked at rugs, counter tops, wall shades, furniture fabrics and colors. I am old enough to remember red, orange, yellow, green, blue indigo and violet.  You know ROYGBIV. Nicole has shown us colors that go far beyond any Crayola Crayon box. Colors such as Pallas Holly Cow, Citron Sun, Pallas Dapple Midnight, Pallas Solid Footing Grass, Maharam Cipher Splash, and DesignTex Landau Pagoda. To my untrained eye they are really pretty shades of blues and greens. Whichever scheme they go with I am sure that it will be fitting for the new building. To take a look at photo galleries of the construction progress, and get a peek at what the new building will look like, go to http://www.graceland.edu/giving/20231/

If you have questions that I might be able to answer please feel free to contact me at 641-784-5281 or pratt@graceland.edu. 

January 2009 Letter

It has been a couple of months since my last update. I would like to begin with wow! There has been a tremendous amount of activity since last October. Where do I begin?

All of the walls have come down and a number of modifications have been made to the outside skin of the building. The new entry way is framed in and the roof is in place. It looks just like all of the artist renditions that have been put online. On the roof is a large cage which is about eight feet tall with hangers that will hold all of the duct work. It is a shiny silver structure that runs the length of the building. Between the cage and the new foyer the outside of the building is really taking shape.

The interior of the building has also undergone significant changes. I recently viewed the interior. Coming in on the basement level you will find a mud floor. It turns out that they had to remove the concrete floor and three feet of dirt to take care of the water drainage. They will be pouring a new floor in the near future. The contractors are doing an amazing job. The old stair case was removed, leaving a large hole in the floor. Another hole was cut and the new stair case was installed in the northwest corner of the building. As you walk through the building you will also notice numerous shiny aluminum studs. All of those studs allow you to get a glimpse of where the new walls for the labs, offices and hallways will be. According to Graceland University Director of Facility Services Kurt Remmenga, the construction company is right on schedule and things are looking good. The reality of this new building is starting to settle in. It is amazing to see the blueprints take life in the walls of our new Resch Science and Technology Hall.

I can only imagine and dream of what these new halls, classrooms and labs will create and become for our future students at Graceland University.

I wonder as well about the stories that these new walls will tell. In my mind new U.S. President Barack Obama's inaugural address says it all. Yes, I do have my favorite parts.

We will restore science to its rightful place and wield technology's wonder to raise healthcare quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And, we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. All this we will do.

I am honored to be a part of building a future for our students of tomorrow. I am even more honored to be a part of the catalyst that will send our students into the future to achieve amazing things as Mom's and Dad's on the school board, CEO's of Fortune 500 companies and Senators on Capitol Hill.

If you have questions, please feel free to contact me at 641-784-5281 or pratt@graceland.edu

October 2008 Letter from Division Chair, Dan Pratt

The picnic on Tuesday, October 9^th, for all of our students was a great success.  Close to 100 students, staff and faculty attended the party. The food and camaraderie were excellent. The students love the t-shirts depicting the relatively unknown location of the North Science Hall. It's location is now well known.

October is the month that has caused me to take a step back and reflect. I am in awe of the demolition of my old friend Platz-Mortimore. Most of the interior walls have now come down. Along with many of the walls the wiring, plumbing, electrical and duct work have also gone.

The great science and math hall now stands as an empty shell.  If the walls could talk I wonder what memories they would share of pain, sadness, tension, excitement, relief, jubilation and joy!

I can only imagine the number of students that have graced these classrooms, labs and hallways: the students that have gone on to become physicians, dentists, veterinarians, professors, teachers, scientists, lawyers, moms and dads. Many of the alumni at Homecoming this year shared with me their loss as well as the excitement about the new building and what it will become for their children and grandchildren.

I fondly remember the wonderful professors, some of which I have only heard the stories of, and others that molded my life and career. The professors who have also graced these classrooms, labs and hallways, have guided and inspired those students. Platz and Mortimore, Goode, Graybill, Hawley, Ramsey, Bolingbroke, Oiler, Edwards, Mortimore, Shaw, Steele, Hartwig, Emslie and all the others who were part of our lives.

As in ancient mythology, from the ashes shall raise a Phoenix fresh and new.

I can only imagine and dream of what these new halls, classrooms and labs will create and become for the students of the future. I wonder as well about the stories that these new walls will tell. If you have questions that I might be able to answer please feel free to contact me at 641-784-5281 or pratt@graceland.edu.

September 2008 Letter from Division Chair, Dan Pratt

Work continues at a steady pace for the renovation of the science building. This month's theme would have to be "and the walls came a tumbalin' down."

As mentioned last month the asbestos abatement began and still continues. I am told that they should be done in the next couple of weeks. The demolition crew is following them down the hallowed halls of Platz-Mortimore.

The first part of the demolition began in the basement where the biotechniques, electron microscope, analytical, student research and microbiology labs were located. There is also the mechanical room. The mechanical room, micro lab and student research lab are now one large room. All the walls dividing them have been removed. The walls separating the electron microscope from the biotechniques lab are gone. It was in the hallway outside of the micro lab that the heart was discovered that had been etched into the concrete many years ago.

The demolition of the upstairs then began. The walls between 101, 102, and 103 came down. These are the rooms closest to Zimmerman if that helps orient you. Michelle Mohlers (Division Office), Dan Pratt's (Division Chair), Steve Murdocks (Math), Maggie Yu's (Comp Sci) and Jim Jones' (Comp Sci) offices were the next to go. This is now one very large open space.

For me the most remarkable part of the demolition was removal of the front wall of room 146. This was the large classroom with the stadium seating. There will be pictures of these transformations in the gallery in the following months.

On the creation, building, synthesizing side of life the North Science Hall is also going through an extreme makeover. We are now in our offices with phones, data ports, locks and furniture. The three biology labs are set up and ready for classes. The two chemistry labs are still in need of work which will be finished in the next two weeks. Lastly the walkway is near completion which will connect the North Science Hall to the rest of campus. There will also be a ramp so we will be wheelchair accessible.

On a lighter note a group of us were thinking of ways to keep our students connected and to let them know how important it is that they are a part of our program. The first great idea is a t-shirt created by Brad Mercer (Chemistry) that on the front says "Where in the world is the North Science Hall?" On the back is a map that directs them to the North Science Hall. There will also be a picnic on Tuesday the 9^th for all of our students that will be taking classes in the North Science Hall.

Lastly we have been asked about the most bizarre item found during the clean-out. One would be a 5 gallon bucket which contained a very large armadillo. The second was a note from Bruce Graybill found in a drawer stating "do not remove." We really have respected Bruce's wishes. He retired 14 years ago.

If you have questions that I might be able to answer please feel free to contact me at 641-784-5281 or pratt@graceland.edu.

Sincerely yours,
Daniel Pratt, Ph.D.
Chair, Division of Science and Math
Associate Professor of Chemistry

August 2008 Letter from Division Chair, Dan Pratt

Greetings from Graceland's Lamoni Campus:

It has been a while since I updated you all about progress being made with remodeling the Platz-Mortimore Science Building, and there has been significant progress. We weathered a powerful summer storm (10 inches of rain in one day) and there has been a whirlwind of activity on our usually quiet and calm summertime campus.

Let me begin with the packing. During the last two weeks of class many of the faculty utilized their students to help with the initial stages of packing.  The chemistry, biology, physics and computer science students are one of the unsung groups that made a huge contribution to the packing. I will be forever grateful for their help. Many of them had multiple labs and therefore had the opportunity to help pack many labs. Although there were times that they were not excited about packing, they still pulled through and did their very best.

Following our last faculty meeting we continued the packing. Some of us were there for 3-4 weeks to finish off the mammoth task.  Bob Kelly and Dennis Core of Facility Services coordinated the student workers who were invaluable. When it was done on June 15^th, all of the chemicals, glassware, instruments, bones, lab specimens, plants, fossils, chairs, benches and blackboards were gone. This also included a 300 pound electromagnet. Thank goodness we had some of the linemen from the football team.

The next phase which was going concurrently with the pack was the demolition. The student workers were amazing in the amount of lumber, plumbing, cable and trash they removed from the building. All of the benches in the respective labs were disconnected from gas, water, air and electrical lines. The benches were then removed and taken to storage. The stadium seating in the large classroom (Room 146) was slowly removed along with the platform in Room 119. It is really amazing to see this "Extreme Makeover" take place.

Following our rapid exit from the building the asbestos abatement began. Demolition has now begun on the interior walls.

Crews have also been hard at work on the North Science Building where we anticipate moving into our new offices on August 14, and into labs later in the month.

I cannot thank all involved enough for their hard work. Without their efforts this would still be a dream and not the reality that it is becoming. This is a remarkable experience that I feel honored to be a part of.

If you have questions that I might be able to answer please feel free to contact me at 641-784-5281 or  pratt@graceland.edu. 

Sincerely yours,

Daniel Pratt, Ph.D.

Background about the gift

July 2008 - Gustav A. Platz and Roy H. Mortimore would be proud indeed of the metamorphosis now taking place within the hallowed halls of their namesake, Platz-Mortimore Science Hall. Graceland's Board of Trustees weighed many options before recently concluding that a complete renovation of Platz-Mortimore - a total makeover - will bequeath to our students a ‘state-of-the-sciences' facility.

The one-on-one, personalized attention science, mathematics and technology students receive at Graceland today from our talented faculty - as yesteryears' students gleaned from professors like Platz and Mortimore and so many others - will now work in tandem within a best-in-the-Midwest sciences' showplace.

The creatively transformed building will be called the Resch Science and Technology Hall to honor Richard J. "Dick" Resch and his family. Resch recently provided a $3 million capstone gift which, united with funds raised during the Graceland Forever Capital Campaign, will provide superb infrastructure and industry-standard equipment, the winning mix to attract outstanding students and exceptional faculty. This historic commitment to academic excellence will lift Graceland to the private-university pinnacle in study of the sciences.

Dick Resch is a 1958 pre-engineering graduate who has good memories of his classes in what was then the fairly-new Platz-Mortimore Science Hall. He would like his family to be honored also with the building's naming. His deceased parents were both Graceland graduates: Clifton Resch '33 and Lois Hatch '32 Resch. His grandmother, Vinnie Rudd, was a House Mother in the very early years of the Independence, MO Sanitarium and Hospital Diploma School of Nursing.

Dick is president and CEO of KI, an industry-leading, award-winning furniture manufacturer with 3,000 employees worldwide. You'll find KI furniture in GU's Helene Center for the Visual Arts and it will adorn Resch Hall. To say that Dick is a self-made man is a true understatement. At age 37 he put everything he had on the line and managed a leveraged buyout of KI (then Kreuger Metal Products). Since then he has always eyed the ‘long view,' never looking back. Fiscal discipline, worker education and community responsibility have been his life-long guideposts.

Dick last visited GU for Homecoming 2003 when he received our most prestigious recognition, the Distinguished Service Award. Homecoming 2008 will mark Dick's 50^th Honor Year Class reunion and he plans to be back on "the Hill."

A donor wall of fame is to adorn the beautiful, high-glass lobby of Resch Hall, along with the existing bronze plaque honoring Professors Platz and Mortimore. So many donors, with gifts large and small, have made Resch Hall possible. Even the 2008 graduating class donated nearly $1,500 for student lounge furnishings.

That brings us to the building itself and what is going on right now. Newly-appointed Director of Facility Services Kurt Remmenga, Grounds Chief Bob Kelly and their crews of employees and 20 student workers began May 19^th, the day after Commencement, and in less than a month they removed everything from the building except the walls. It will now be the work of contractor J.E. Dunn to transform architectural firm Gould Evan's design, shooting for the expected move-in date of fall 2009.

Science faculty members heroically packed up their office and lab equipment and they have helped with the moves to temporary quarters in the basement of the Frederick Madison Smith Library (Computer Science and Information Technology), Zimmermann Hall (Mathematics) and the ‘North Science Hall,' a former group home just north of campus (Chemistry and Biology.) Huge amounts of furniture and equipment have been stored in a building downtown Lamoni owned by GU Board Chair Ken McClain. Academic year 2008-09 science classes held around the Lamoni campus will be a supreme challenge, but according to Science and Math Division Chair Dan Pratt, "We are up to it. Faculty camaraderie has been inspiring." Pratt said faculty members are "focusing on making this a great year for students, despite the obvious hardships. And, my colleagues are very excited about moving into Resch Hall next year."

The transformed building will be a marvel of planning (faculty played an integral role), designing and engineering. Everything - wiring, plumbing, A/C and heating - will be removed. "Alumni will not recognize the building," said Remmenga, "inside or out. Absolutely everything will be new!" Indeed, the sleek, futuristic building is going to take you by surprise. You can take a peek at Homecoming this October but it will take a year from then for the total makeover.

A significant gift from Dick Resch in 2002 brought to life a long-sought arena in Green Bay, now home to the Green Bay Gamblers hockey team, the University of Wisconsin men's basketball team and myriad entertainment events. The beautiful, two-story, glass-front edifice is truly an awesome sight. It is named the Resch Center. Dick and his wife Sharon live in Green Bay.

When Dick is back for Homecoming he wants to take a look at Platz-Mortimore and envision the new Resch Hall. If you see the magnificent Resch Center in Green Bay, then peek at the architect's rendition of Resch Hall at GU, there are instant similarities, like the imposing glass fronts. "It's the contemporary style of architecture I like," Dick said. "There will be lots of light. Besides the beauty it will cut down on power use." KI is a leader among manufacturing giants in global support of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification for construction.

An atrium lobby in Resch Hall will lead you down a row of spacious, glass-front faculty offices. "This will promote great collegiality," Pratt says proudly. Classrooms and labs will be ultra modern. There will be student lounges with an internet-café feel. Special ID cards will provide students 24/7 access to the building. Ackerley Scholars will explore the Computer Science world through technologically-amazing ‘StarLine' electrical conduit. Airflow and ventilation are to be critical priorities, says Remmenga, and lab airflow will operate through separate systems. Safe, functional, inviting and beautiful...there is too much to write to describe fully the tremendous details of what Resch Hall will offer our students and faculty. In short, it will offer them a very bright future!