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ACP News
ACP unveils new Student Center
54,000-square-foot facility is the centerpiece of campus evolution
ALBANY,
N.Y. (September 9, 2006) - Albany College of Pharmacy officially welcomed
the addition of the ACP Student Center to the heart of its expanded campus
Saturday in a grand-opening ceremony celebrating the College's most significant
new construction project in nearly 80 years.
The architecturally striking 54,000-square-
foot facility is the crowning achievement in ACP's transformation this decade from a one-building commuter college to a vibrant, residential institution with an inviting, full-service campus.
"We are here to celebrate both the completion of this exceptional facility and its presence as the centerpiece of our campus," President James J. Gozzo said during a ceremony attended by about 200 students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends. "In just a few short weeks, the Student Center has become the hub of our expanded campus, providing a welcoming venue that brings our community together and greatly enhances the environment in which our students live and learn."
Albany
Mayor Gerald D. Jennings, ACP Board Chairman Emeritus Alfred J. Collins Jr.
'53, Vice Chair Zachary Hanan '63 and Student Government Association President
Ryan Madison '08 also offered remarks. Tours of the facility featured a two-screen
multimedia presentation created by student Gregg Eady '10.
"The Student Center is a symbol of the continued commitment that ACP has to improving the quality of students' personal, as well as professional, educational experience," Madison said.
The Student Center was designed by Envision Architects of Albany, led by managing principal Michael Poost, who has worked with ACP on an array of construction and renovation projects since 1978. Sano-Rubin Construction Co., Inc., was the construction manager for the $13.5 million project.
Located at the heart of ACP's campus in the University Heights neighborhood, the Student Center is an exceptional facility. From the bright 1,800-square-foot angular glass atrium to the spacious IT Student Support Center on the second floor, the facility is a state-of-the-art gem.
Additional features of the fully wired and wireless facility include a 350-seat cafeteria and mezzanine overlooked by a soaring wall of smoked glass; coffee shop; 500-seat lecture hall; a 5,000-square-foot bookstore shared by Albany Law School and Sage College of Albany; student lounge; and offices for students and staff.
Founded in 1881, ACP initially shared space with Albany Medical College on Eagle Street in downtown Albany. ACP moved across Eagle Street in 1909 into its first solely occupied building, then built its first private building on New Scotland Avenue in 1926-27, the flagship facility later named for Dean Francis J. O'Brien, who led the school from 1943-67.
The Student Center is ACP's most significant construction project since then. Open only a few weeks, the Student Center quickly has become the focal point of a campus undergoing a remarkable transformation at the start of the 21st century.
ACP has grown from approximately 650 total students in 1999 - all of them living off campus - to nearly 1,250 today, with more than half living on campus.
When Dr. Gozzo arrived at ACP in 1998, the O'Brien Building and adjoining Wardle (1956) and Blythe (1982) wings comprised the full extent of campus. Freshmen lived in Alumni Hall near the intersection of Holland and Delaware avenues, a 20-minute walk to classes. All other students lived off campus.
Today, approximately 700 students live on campus in ACP's Notre Dame (2000) and South Hall (2003) residence facilities, and the independently owned University Heights College Suites. The College's campus growth this decade also has included the Classroom Building and Albert M. White Gymnasium (2000), the Pharmacy Practice Laboratory in the O'Brien Building (2003) and the Pharmaceutical Research Institute (2003). A new Center for Nanopharmaceutical Sciences is under development in Rensselaer .
The Student Center is centrally located on the main Albany campus, framing a stately quad also bordered by the Classroom Building , White gymnasium and Albany Law's 2000 Building.
ACP growth also has included new academic programs.
Complementing the pharmacy curriculum for which the College is a well-known national leader, ACP has added Bachelor of Science programs in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Biomedical Technology, the latter with concentrations in Cytotechnology and Clinical Laboratory Sciences and a joint Physician Assistant Studies program with Albany Medical College. Joint programs with Albany Med, Albany Law and Union Graduate College also provide pathways to medical school, law school and MBA programs. ACP continues to work to further diversify its academic offerings, all focused around the Sciences for Life theme.
Founded in 1881, Albany College of Pharmacy is the oldest pharmacy school in New York State and one of the only private, independent pharmacy schools in the United States. The College has a long history of serving its students and health care professionals as one of the premier pharmacy colleges in the nation. ACP now enters a new era in health care with a focus not only on pharmacy, but also on pharmaceutical sciences, biomedical technology and research.