Westminster breaks ground for Hoyt Science Center $11.2 million expansion

NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. – Westminster College broke ground today for the $11.2 million expansion to the Hoyt Science Center expected to be complete in spring 2021.

The 27,000-square-foot addition to the College’s central hub for scientific learning and research is phase three of the $20 million Hoyt Renovation and Expansion Project, which was begun in 2016 to address the needs of Westminster’s dedicated faculty and the growing number of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) students.

“Today is not a day about square feet and it’s not about dollars,” said Matthew Stinson, vice president for institutional advancement. “Today is a celebration of what occurs inside of Hoyt and the successful outcomes of our students that as alumni are leading lives of meaning, integrity and service to others.”

Hoyt’s new three-story wing will provide six new teaching laboratories, three research laboratories, 10 faculty offices, a student collaboration space and restrooms.  The Center for the Environment will also be housed in the new wing.

Phases one and two of the project included the construction of Westminster’s new nursing and neuroscience facilities and the Dietz Sullivan Lecture Hall, as well as other structural and aesthetic renovations and upgrades to the existing Hoyt structure, which was originally built in 1974 with an addition built in the 1980s. Phase four will address spaces needed for future expanded academic programming, as well as unrenovated areas from the project’s first two stages.

The total renovation and expansion of the Hoyt Science Center will offer state-of-the-art facilities for teaching and research, expanded and improved lab space to encourage collaborative experiences, and enable Westminster’s faculty to continue offering a high-quality education necessary for students to excel in their fields.

“It will be the type of facility that supports an education that’s rich in experience and collaboration, so we can prepare graduates for the industries like health care, manufacturing, energy and information technology that power this region’s growth and progress,” said Westminster College President Dr. Kathy Brittain Richardson.

Photo: Breaking ground from left to right are Dr. Jeffrey Scott Coker, vice president for academic affairs and enrollment and dean of the College; junior nursing major Megan Parker of Mercer, Pa.; Westminster College President Dr. Kathy Brittain Richardson; Westminster College Board of Trustees Chair Robin Willoughby Gooch ’75; Kenneth Romig ’85, vice president for finance and management services; and Matthew Stinson, vice president for institutional advancement.

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