A new research building at SIUC could help energize the university.
SIU President Glenn Poshard said Monday he had spoken with Gov. Rod Blagojevich about attaining state funding for a potential research building that could be constructed at SIUC. The building would provide research space to be used primarily by faculty and students at the university, researching issues related to energy.
The plan, which Poshard said could help reach the goals set in Southern at 150, is still in the initial stages, and there has been no agreement met with the governor, Poshard said.
"We've needed more space for a long time," he said.
John Koropchak, vice-chancellor for research and dean of the graduate school, said the university conducted a study that showed SIUC has less research space than comparable universities.
A facility to research energy issues would be especially important because of the prominence of the topic in local, national and world affairs, he said. Some have argued that scarcity of energy is linked to most of the world's major problems, he said.
Although there are no plans set for the potential location of the building, Koropchak said that due to the nature of the research, the structure could be built near or adjacent to the campus's power plant.
"This kind of project could be a cornerstone of the Saluki Way project," he said.
Koropchak said southern Illinois' large coal resources put SIUC in a unique position to do research with coal while also studying other resources, such as wind.
Jay Means, dean of the College of Science, said increased enrollment in the college - and thus more faculty - has left no space for any additional faculty to work. A new building would enable the college to hire more faculty members and would provide researchers with a safer environment than is currently available in the Neckers Building.
Neckers was built throughout the 1950s and '60s, and much of the safety equipment is outdated, which limits the research that can be done, he said.
Alan Vaux, dean of the College of Liberal Arts, said that while some might not expect his college to be involved in energy research, faculty and students in subjects ranging from geography to art and design could contribute to the subject.
Those in geography study climate and other energy-relevant topics, while those in art and design could devise plans for materials that are environmentally friendly, Vaux said.
Many researchers in his college could also benefit from a newer structure in which to work, he said.
"Another aspect of this is that Faner is really a problematic building, and some of the space that we put people into is leaking and has problems like that," Vaux said. "It's the same thing over in Life Science II."
Daily Egyptian reporter Joe Crawford can be reached at 536-3311 ext. 254 or jcrawford@siude.com.
