August marked the 2-year anniversary of the dedication for the John and Mary Alford Center for Science and Technology building at The Ohio State University at Newark (OSU-N) and Central Ohio Technical College (COTC) campus.  The $32 million, three-story, 60,000-square-foot facility was built in response to an overwhelming student demand for science courses at the campus.  The building is helping to meet the needs of students who wish to pursue studies in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), and also local employers searching to fill jobs in engineering, manufacturing, information technology, and healthcare fields.
 
Having a STEM facility in the community increases the pool of local talent by training and preparing workers for growing community employment needs.  Young adults can acquire all the skills that they need right in Licking County.  Construction of the building allowed COTC to offer the first anesthesiology technology associate degree program in the state.
 
The region is experiencing unprecedented population growth as Intel and other large tech companies move into the area.  Growing populations in Licking County also bring a higher demand for access to healthcare.  It is predicted that central Ohio will need 9,000 additional healthcare jobs by 2028 to meet the demand and to accommodate the number of aging seniors.
 
Licking Memorial Health Systems (LMHS) President & CEO, Rob Montagnese, is Chair of the COTC Board of Trustees.  “Almost half of our nurses and nearly 75 percent of our radiology employees have attended classes on campus,” Rob said.  “Supporting the construction of this building was critical to ensure that we have the ability to attract, train, and educate the future work force that will be taking care of all of us.”
 
The building was named to honor John and Mary Alford, who were long-standing supporters of OSU-N, COTC, and LMHS.  The Alford Center became the 11th building on the shared 200-acre campus and is located on the southwest region of the property at 1193 University Drive.
 
“The John and Mary Alford Center for Science and Technology has truly transformed our college's ability to deliver high tech, exemplary science and technology-based education,” said COTC President John Berry.  “This exceptional facility would not have been possible without the generosity of both individuals and organizations who have long standing ties to Central Ohio Technical College. COTC continues to live the conviction of its mission to meet the technical education and training needs of students and employers in the area. The John and Mary Alford Center for Science and Technology has significantly elevated our ability to meet the goals of that mission.”
 
Located on the ground floor of the building is the LMHS Simulation Center – a state-of-the-art, multi-disciplinary health science simulation lab that allows students to experience various realistic medical scenarios in a learning environment.
 
“We are thrilled that students have a high caliber training facility to take advantage of right in our backyard,” Rob said.  “LMHS continues to expand and implement state-of-the-art technology, and we trust that those students who receive training in the simulation centers will be highly qualified to enhance our workforce and assist in our mission of improving the health of the community.”
 
Also on the first floor of the Alford Center is the main lobby, a conference room, student study space, two smart labs, a virtual anatomy classroom and lab, physics instructional, nuclear magnetic resonance, emergency room simulation, operating room simulation, and ambulance simulation labs, as well as other classrooms.
 
The second floor includes general classrooms, anthropology instructional and geology/earth sciences instructional labs, two cadaver/anatomy instructional and two biology instructional labs, plus eight faculty offices, a faculty workroom, a large student lounge, and a conference room.
 
The building’s third floor houses two general chemistry labs, an organic chemistry lab, eight faculty offices, faculty workroom, large student lounge, small study room, and seven research labs for physics, paleontology, geology/earth sciences, biology, and chemistry.
 
LMHS has a long-standing partnership with OSU-N and COTC, offering a clinical practice setting for nursing students to gain experience and enhance their education.  As a result, many students are often employed by LMHS where they can provide the knowledge and skills learned in a familiar Hospital setting.