AACC Celebrates Health and Life Sciences Building With Grand Opening

Oct. 26, 2021

The new building towering over AACC’s campus makes a big impression. So will the students who learn there, on their way to careers in health care and the sciences in Anne Arundel County and beyond. The Grand Opening Celebration on Tuesday, Oct. 26, celebrated the trademark AACC excellence, value and adaptability evidenced by the building.

“Research shows there is a shift occurring in education from a traditional to a more creative, active, high-tech, interdisciplinary learning community,” said Dr. Dawn Lindsay, AACC president, said at the event. “This building will promote a culture of lifelong learning with a focus on student completion, meeting the diverse needs of the community while eliminating the barriers for student success by accommodating a variety of learning styles.”

The Health and Life Sciences Building helps future professionals respond to the needs of their community with compassion and curiosity, equipped with the latest technology.

Highlights of the 175,000-square foot, three-story state-of-the-art learning environment include:

• 18 biology labs and 20 health science labs that engage students with industry-standard, hands-on work
• Space for expansion of the college’s nationally ranked nursing program
• Computer-controlled manikins that mimic patient conditions
• Simulation labs for clinical rotations and real-world emergency response practice
• An environmental center with cutting-edge research contributing to the region’s environmental health
• A greenhouse and aquaculture labs
• A white box theater-style area that provides a highly flexible space
• Varied interprofessional learning spaces to bring more collaboration among similar programs of study

Despite the COVID worldwide pandemic, construction impressively stayed on track, starting in May 2018 and finishing at the initial end date of June 2021. Costs also stayed on track. AACC awarded the roughly $8 million design contract to the design firm SmithGroup and the $96.2 million construction project to The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company. The equipment and furnishings budget was around $13 million, making the total cost of approximately $117 million.

Generous funding was provided by the county and state. AACC is grateful for their support and for recognizing the importance of this endeavor on both a county and state level. 

Check out our photo collection from the event!