Last modified: Monday, January 28, 2008
School of Optometry eyes the future
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jan. 28, 2008
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The Indiana University School of Optometry will celebrate the beginning a new Optometry Eye Care Center's construction with a ceremonial groundbreaking Tuesday (Jan. 29). The event -- held in the Optometry Building's lobby at 3 p.m. -- will be hosted by IU President Michael A. McRobbie and kicks-off long-awaited plans.
This is the most recent three-dimensional rendering of the new Eye Care Clinic, which will begin construction soon. Image courtesy of architectural illustrator Bright Architects.
"I'm extremely excited that the new Eye Care Center is beginning construction," said School of Optometry Dean Gerald Lowther. "The building will provide our students and the Bloomington community with the best eye care technology available as well as create space in the current clinic's location for cutting-edge research."
The new Eye Care Center will be located at 736 E. Third St. -- former location of the Margrave Apartment building -- almost directly across the street from the Optometry building. It will house a new state-of-the-art diagnosis facility and one of the largest eyewear collections in the state. The new facility will be more visible and provide students with the best possible opportunities to perfect their trade under faculty supervision.
Additionally, the new Eye Care Center will make the space of the current clinic -- located on the second floor of the Optometry Building -- available to expand faculty research into a number of key areas including the aging effects on vision, glaucoma, the development of an infant's vision, high-resolution retinal imaging, and how vision can be improved beyond the 20/20 standard.
Tuesday afternoon's ceremony will include speeches from IU Board of Trustees Member A.D. King, IU Vice President Terry Clapacs, IU Executive Vice President Karen Hanson, Optometry Dean Gerald Lowther, President of the Optical Student Association Natalie Lambert, and Director of Clinics Steven Hitzeman. After the speeches, McRobbie and several of the speakers will take part in a traditional dirt turning to complete the ceremony.
Special thanks go to the Clinic's Design Builder, Weddle Bros. Design & Build LLC, the Principal Architect, VPS Architecture, the MEP Engineering firm, Durkin & Villalta Partners Engineering, the Structural Design team from Arsee Engineers, and the Landscape Architects from Rundell Earnstberger Associates.
