Fishery Sciences Building finally brings unit together

The governor, three state senators, a former governor, President Richard McCormick and close to 200 well-wishers attended the Friday, Oct. 29, dedication of the new Fishery Sciences Building.

The building, in Southwest Campus near the intersection of Northeast Boat and Northeast Pacific streets, houses nearly all fisheries faculty, staff and students in the same complex of buildingsa welcome change after years of being spread out in permanent and temporary structures, some up to a half-mile away from each other.

Fish Dedication

The three-story building, with 126,000 square feet of classroom, lab and office space, was designed by the architectural firm Bohlin, Cywinski and Jackson (BCJ). Key people from BCJ working with fisheries faculty, staff and students were Peter Bohlin, Jon Jackson, Roxanne Sherbeck and Tina Lindinger. Exterior materials include brick, glass, metal infill panels and exposed concrete. A public courtyard, with landscaping, links the new building to the adjacent Fisheries Research and Teaching Building and the Marine Affairs Building.

Turner Construction served as general contractor and construction manager for the building, with Alan Killian, Mike Rosa and Frank Smith serving as the company's liaisons to the school.

The new Fishery Sciences Building, located in southwest campus, was completed in August.

The dedication marked the end of more than a decade of effort that included securing approval and funding for the new structure, as well as programming by faculty and staff. Receiving special mention at the dedication was the work of Professor Walt Dickhoff. Three project managers with UW Capital Projects OfficeDoug Jennings, Will Smith and Dave Marberghelped guide the project.

David Armstrong, director of the School of Fisheries, said it was appropriate for the school to be dedicating its new building on the heels of a faculty retreat the previous week, when a strategic plan was mapped out to meet "the challenge President McCormick made to the campus community to explore and define all means possible to enhance the educational opportunities of our students, especially through venues of experiential learning."

The strategic plan, which next goes to Dean Arthur Nowell of the College of Ocean and Fishery Sciences, will "transform much of our curricula, use of facilities and allocation of resources to expand this provocative dimension of students' educations," Armstrong said at the dedication.

Armstrong has been director during this past year of construction. He noted the contributions of previous director Marsha Landolt, now dean of the Graduate School, and acting director Ken Chew, now associate dean of the College of Ocean and Fishery Sciences, to launching and securing funding for the project.

Pointing out that Chew had taught him and his brother to fish, Gov. Gary Locke said the state values the students who have graduated from the school as well as the research and expert advice provided by faculty and staff. ¶