Groundbreaking for Building with Groundbreaking Potential

The University of Scranton formally broke ground for a nearly 90,000 square-foot center for workforce development, applied research and outreach at a ceremony on April 8. The ceremony took place on the site of the four-story building on University-owned property on the 300 block of Madison Avenue.

“As we all know, the word groundbreaking can be used as a noun or an adjective. Obviously, we have gathered here today for the noun. But, once the doors of our new building open, the adjective will take over: groundbreaking – in other words, trailblazing, innovative, and cutting edge. This new building will be one of the forces that helps The University of Scranton move into its future,” said Rev. Joseph G. Marina, S.J., president of The University of Scranton, at the groundbreaking ceremony. “By embracing the opportunities of workforce development, applied research and community outreach, our new hall will help Scranton take a big step forward in its mission.”

“Our new hall will stand between downtown Scranton and the rest of our campus, always here to remind us of our responsibility to the city around us and our responsibility to the world beyond that,” said Father Marina.

Michelle Maldonado, Ph.D., provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Scranton, said at the groundbreaking ceremony that the building is “designed with collaboration in mind: collaborations between students and faculty; interdisciplinary opportunities across all our colleges; and the potential to increase engagement, partnerships and programming with regional businesses and organizations in the greater Scranton area.”

The new building will house the University of Success, which is a four-year college preparation initiative for area high school-students, and The University of Scranton Small Business Development Center, which was established at the University in 1980 and serves an eight-county area that spans northern tier and northeastern Pennsylvania.

“This facility includes a 10,000-square-foot innovation hub right on the first floor that we expect will be a centerpiece for collaboration and will serve as a dynamic resource for the campus and greater Scranton community,” said Dr. Maldonado.

The building also will house the University’s Student Health Services and The Center for Health Education and Wellness; and provide space for laboratories, classrooms, offices and meeting areas for the University’s Department of Criminal Justice, Cybersecurity and Sociology and the Psychology Department.

“As a department, we are especially excited about the impact these new classrooms and research labs will have, every day, on implementing our engagement-focused curriculum,” said John Norcross, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of Psychology at Scranton, said in his remarks at the ceremony. “This is a place designed for – and built for – reciprocal access: easy access for the public to us, and easy access for us to the community. This new building will increase student and community contact with our multiple programs, including the interdisciplinary concentrations in lifespan development, environmental and sustainability studies, integrated data analysis, and Black studies directed by Psychology faculty.”

Also speaking at the ceremony were Michael Jenkins, Ph.D., professor and chair of the University’s Department of Criminal Justice, Cybersecurity and Sociology; Maria Manno, a biochemistry, cell and molecular biology major from Blue Bell and a peer health education team leader at the University’s Center for Health Education and Wellness; Scranton Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti; and U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright.

With the support of Congressman Cartwright, a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee and Ranking Member of the Commerce, Justice and Science Subcommittee, the University received $16.62 million for this building project as part of Cartwright’s FY2023 Community Project Funding requests.

Hemmler and Camayd (HC Architects) are the architects of the building, which incorporates glass walls, steel and stone into a modern design intended to meet silver LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification requirements. Quandel Construction will serve as the construction manager.

The University plans to begin use of the building for the fall 2025 semester.