CSC's Math Science project receives Nebraska Environmental Trust grant

Among the items funded by the NET grant will be energy efficient mechanical and electrical systems and lighting in the COIL building, landscaping with native or well-adapted and drought resistant grasses, shrubs and trees, and special air quality and plumbing fixtures that reduce water consumption.

Renovation of CSC’s Math Science building has long been a top priority for the Nebraska State College System Board of Trustees. In 2019, Nebraska Senators and Gov. Pete Ricketts approved funding for the project, which involves a complete renovation of the existing structure and addition of a new, 16,926 square foot north wing.

Groundbreaking for the $32 million project took place in Sept. 2020, with completion expected in Feb. 2022. The building will meet contemporary laboratory and teaching standards, and include a lecture hall with two 120-inch projection screens, active learning classrooms and labs, study spaces, extensive audio-visual technologies and dedicated space for the Dr. Lois Veath Planetarium, the Eleanor Barbour Cook Museum of Geology, and the unique collections of the High Plains Herbarium.

With no equivalent scientific educational facility in western Nebraska, the Math Science COIL is expected to aid in recruitment and retention of students in science and medicine. The project’s far-reaching impacts will include providing high-impact learning opportunities for students in science, technology, engineering and math, increased research opportunities, and enhanced recruitment of students and faculty, said CSC President Randy Rhine.

The NET Board announced funding for the CSC grant at its April meeting in Lincoln. The project is one of 113 projects receiving $18,350,515 in grant awards from the NET this year. The NET also previously funded $75,000 in design development for the Math Science COIL.

Created by the Nebraska Legislature in 1992, the NET works to protect and restore Nebraska’s natural resources for future generations. Using revenue from the Nebraska Lottery, NET has provided more than $349 million in grants to more than 2,400 projects across the state. Anyone, including citizens, organizations, communities, farmers, and businesses can apply for funding from the NET to protect habitat, improve water quality, and establish recycling programs in Nebraska.

—George Ledbetter