President Rollin Richmond will preside over the ceremony and speak about the academic opportunities the $44 million facility represents. Also speaking will be Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi, the building’s design architect Nels Hall, Bart Thomsen of Kiewit Building Group, HSU Athletics Director Dan Collen, and Kinesiology & Recreation Administration Chair Professor Kathy Munoz. The Marching Lumberjacks will provide music for the event and healthy snacks will be served.
“The new academic building provides our students with the best equipped kinesiology laboratories in the California State University system,” said Munoz. “All instructional spaces include the latest technology which will improve teaching effectiveness and support hands-on learning. Additionally, the building will enhance student and faculty recruitment efforts, position us to obtain federal research grants and expand our services to the University and the North Coast community.”
Following the ribbon cutting, tours of the new facility will leave from the main lobby on the ground floor and informational posters will explain various features including the new pool and gym. The building was designed and constructed to LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver standards, using sustainable materials and incorporating green elements. The Portland, Ore.-based firm Yost Grube Hall is the design architect and Kiewit Building Group constructed the facility. Traci Ferdolage managed the project for the University and is excited to see it being used by students, staff and faculty.
“I think the new facility will benefit the community and the University, and improve the education we can offer to students,” Ferdolage said. “It’s exciting to see this project come to fruition and the impact it can have on educational opportunities.”
Students, faculty, staff and members of the extended HSU community are reaping significant benefits from the new facility: students are attending courses in improved classrooms; staff members have greater access to resources; and Jacks fans are cheering on their team in the spacious 17,655 square-foot arena that can hold more than 2,000 supporters of the green and gold.
“We now have as our venue one of the premier facilities among NCAA Division II programs,” said HSU Athletics Director Dan Collen. “Fans attending our games will benefit from the enhanced comfort and we have also gained an advantage in our efforts to recruit quality student-athletes.”
The building’s improved Biomechanics Lab replaces a cramped facility in Forbes Complex and both the Human Performance Lab and Behavioral Performance Lab are housed in the new facility. The pool features extra depth for SCUBA classes offered by the Physical Education Department and students in the department’s fencing class practice in the bright, spacious new dance studio. Kinesiology, Recreation Administration and Dance classes are making use of improved learning spaces and modern locker rooms augment the overall experience for HSU’s student-athletes. The Employee Wellness Program, North Coast Concussion Program and other research projects are all housed in the facility.
Outdoor landscaping and a plaza connecting the Kinesiology & Athletics Building with Redwood Bowl, the Student Recreation Center and Forbes Complex will be completed in 2009. The plaza will feature a commemorative brick walkway. Personalized, engraved bricks will be available with proceeds supporting Athletics Scholarships and the Alumni Association Scholarship Endowment, a program that helps students succeed at Humboldt State. For more information or to purchase your personalized brick, contact Alumni Relations at (707) 826-3132.
The Kinesiology and Athletics Building is located at the eastern edge of campus just south of the Student Recreation Center and Redwood Bowl. View a map of campus.