Georgia Southern University’s Statesboro Campus hosted a ribbon-cutting for the new Interdisciplinary Academic Building, a multi-purpose, multi-storied building with state-of-the-art classroom technology, on Sept. 12.

“This new, 110,000-square-foot facility is the first Interdisciplinary Academic Building, and it is an impressive addition to the Statesboro Campus, but it represents more than just bricks and mortar,” said Georgia Southern President Shelley C. Nickel in her opening remarks for the ceremony. “It also represents our vision for student success. We believe student success is our number one priority, and we are focused on student-centered teaching and learning, and how we can serve our students better in the classroom, in the lab and in the real world.”

Notably, the multi-purpose building provides flexible learning spaces for students with cutting-edge interactive classrooms and lab spaces for future research. The facility provides opportunities for faculty collaboration across disciplines and houses a wide variety of departments, including interior design, fashion merchandising and apparel design, as well as history, foreign languages, writing and linguistics, international studies and departments in the Waters College of Health Professions.

In 2015, Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal included $33.6 million in funding for the new classroom building in the state’s 2016 fiscal year budget. Construction was completed by Charles Perry Partners Inc. (CPPI), in partnership with Lavender & Associates, and architectural design by Hellmuth, Obata, Kassabaum (HOK).

“I really am looking forward to the ideas and the experiments that will come from these partnerships, as well as the hands-on experience that our students will get,” said Nickel. “Georgia Southern University is moving forward, expanding its services, amenities and resources — all part of its mission to provide trained, experienced leaders for the southeast Georgia workforce. We are committed to this region and will continue to work with our state legislators, community leaders, business and industry leaders, and local government to make southeast Georgia a better place for us to work, live and grow.”