First sledgehammers swing on College of Pharmacy in Burton
Janel Shoun |
* Architectural Drawings for Burton Building Renovation
* Lipscomb to establish first College of Pharmacy in Middle Tennessee
* Former assistant dean at UT appointed to lead College of Pharmacy
Lipscomb University officially began construction today for the first College of Pharmacy in Middle Tennessee. The university marked the beginning of the $10.1 million renovation and addition of the A.M. Burton Building with a ground-breaking ceremony and dessert reception.
| President Randy Lowry at the Burton ground-breaking. |
| Dean Roger Davis introduces the Baker Museum. |
| Dean Roger Davis, Matt Gallivan, president of the Nashville Healthcare Council, and President Randy Lowry bash away at Burton's historic walls. |
| Dean Roger Davis, Mack Underwood, Mary Baker Underwood and President Randy Lowry. The Underwoods will make a significant donation to create a pharmacy history museum. |
University officials, College of Pharmacy officials and members of the Burton family, long-time supporters of Lipscomb, were the first to take up a sledgehammer and begin demolition of the interior walls of the Burton Building, first constructed in 1947. Members of the local health care community and neighborhood leaders were also present for the ceremony.
“The remodeling of this historic building will give us an outstanding state-of-the-art educational facility for both classroom and laboratory experiences,” said Roger Davis, Dean of the Lipscomb College of Pharmacy. “It is a unique opportunity to be able to build on our Christian heritage, as exemplified by the Burton family and combine that with the university’s latest educational and service initiative. Lipscomb’s pharmacy program – its first doctoral program – will benefit not only the university but will reach out to the community and improve the health status of the community and the rest of the nation.”
The 44,000-square-foot Burton Building will be completely gutted and renovated to include a pharmaceutical science research lab, a pharmaceutical preparations lab, a patient physical assessment lab, a computer/dispensing simulation lab, five lecture halls, administrative and faculty offices, a museum, and a series of small group critical thinking discussion rooms, student lounges and student pharmacist organization offices.
At the ceremony, Lipscomb Senior Vice President of Advancement Joe Ivey announced that the Burton project has been registered with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) to become LEED certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). In order to achieve LEED certification, Lipscomb and its builder DF Chase Construction must earn at least 26 points out of a possible 69 through various green building methods such as recycling materials, using energy-efficient equipment and improving indoor air quality.
Of the eight LEED certified buildings currently in Tennessee, none are on a college campus, according to the Middle Tennessee chapter of the USGBC.
The Burton renovation project also includes the renovation of Collins Alumni Auditorium and a $2.2 million new music wing. The construction project is expected to last until March. Tuck Hinton Architects are the designers of the project.
At the ground-breaking ceremony, Davis also announced a significant contribution to the College of Pharmacy to create a museum of pharmacy history and pharmaceutical paraphernalia at Burton’s primary entrance. Mack and Mary Baker Underwood will fund the museum in honor of Thurman Dee Baker Sr., Mary Underwood’s father and a long-time community pharmacist in Manchester.
Baker established Baker Brothers Drug Co. in Manchester in 1928. Countless pharmacists, including two members of the Lipscomb College of Pharmacy Leadership Council -- the founding Dean Roger Davis and the Special Assistant to the Dean Ray Marcrom -- were influenced significantly in their careers at Baker Brothers Drug.
“Mr. Baker was a well-known pharmacist and the epitome of a concerned and compassionate pharmacist businessman,” said Davis. “He was a classic, small-town independent community pharmacist and civic leader.”
Davis also announced that all 11 members of the inaugural Lipscomb College of Pharmacy Leadership Council have now been hired. The founding team includes three administrators and seven faculty members.