By James S. Tyree
The Oklahoman

NORMAN- Construction on the University of Oklahoma campus at Boyd Avenue and Jenkins Street is making progress bust is far from complete.

Cranes and crews remain busy constructing Devon Energy Hall and the ExxonMobil Lawrence G. Rawl Engineering Practice Facility. College of Engineering Dean Thomas Landers said the $41 million projects will continue through much of the next year.

“If everything goes smoothly, we should have substantial completion by mid-to late 2008, followed by inspections and all,” Landers said. “Our goal is to have classes there in spring 2009.”

Devon Energy Hall, funded in large part by a $10 million donation from Devon Energy Corporation, will be a six-story building with classrooms and laboratories for electrical and computer science students, along with collaborative projects space open to all engineering students.

Chris Maxon, communications director for the engineering college, said Devon Energy Hall was “designed to encourage interaction among students of all engineering disciplines” as opposed to the “boxed-in feel of yesteryear’s college buildings.”

The practice facility will present learning opportunities for OU students and many others in and around Norman. ExxonMobil gave $5 million toward its construction.

“The practice facility really is a unique place dedicated to undergraduate learning, particularly hands-on, team-based project learning,” Landers said. “It also has features that enrich academic life, particularly from outreach to K-12 learning and leadership development.”

Groundbreaking for the buildings took place in May 2006, right after commencement. Oscar Boldt Construction is the general contractor.

The engineering dean said the location is ideal because the buildings will be along a main traffic artery and close to thousands of football fans on games days who will be able to look inside at fascinating student projects.

The building project already serves as valuable recruiting tool for the College of Engineering.

“Probably the most exciting thing about it is the gleam in the eye of high school students that we recruit to study engineering at OU.”
 

Copyright 2007, The Oklahoma Publishing Company