Looking forward to your five-year Homecoming reunion?
Prepare for some changes. Just like a few of our graduates, Western has bulked up a bit. No worries – the old familiars are there. The University Bridge. UC Hill, Concrete Beach. But Western is a growing presence on Canada’s teaching and research landscape. Some old familiars are getting an overhaul (Physics and Astronomy, Stevenson and Lawson halls) and some places are entirely new. Here’s an abbreviated look over the last five or so years.
• Westminster Hall. Formerly Westminster College, the hall has traded dorm rooms for offices. Now home to the External portfolio (including this newspaper and Homecoming organizers) and Psychology;
• The Biotron. Biotron is one of the world’s top climate change facilities and can mimic most environmental conditions;
• Stevenson and Lawson halls. Formerly SLB and the main administration centre, Stevenson and Lawson are under renovation. They will regain their original individual profiles, and become home to academic units as well as the president’s office;
• The Student Centre. This multi-storey building attached to University Community Centre brings together all student services under one roof;
Support Services. Overlooking Western Road near Saugeen-Maitland Hall, this is the main administrative building for parking and IT to HR and Physical Plant;
• The bird wind tunnel. This amazing new centre near Support Services monitors the flight and health of live birds in a controlled climate setting.
• B&G Building. You have to go inside to appreciate the $35-million overhaul to one of the main science buildings.
• Western Student Recreation Centre. This stunning new centre attached to Thompson Arena is attracting country-wide interest. A success from Day 1;
• New Richard Ivey Schol of Business building. A new $100-million building is under construction on Western Road in front of Brescia University College. With huge growth, Ivey has outgrown its current space;
• Alumni Riverwalk. Talk a stroll along the Thames and under University Bridge. Western alumni built this path – so take a bow;
And all that is just on campus. A research facility near London Airport tests the impact of extreme natural events on our homes; another on Wonderland Road North leads the way in conversion of farm byproducts into useful materials. Construction begins soon along Veterans Memorial Highway (formerly Highway 100) on a world-first hexagonal wind tunnel that could attract a wind industry complex to London. And at the University of Windsor, a satellite building of the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry trains doctors in hopes they will serve in the local area.