After 68 years in Thompson Hall, we are gradually moving towards a new chapter and a new home for the geology department at Kansas State University.
The faculty are working with designers, architects, and engineers from companies external to K-State, and representatives from K-State Facilities and the College of Arts and Sciences, to relocate geology to renovated and refurbished spaces in the science hub in the center of the Manhattan campus. The main faculty, administrative, and academic home for the department will be in the north wing of Willard Hall. In addition to housing offices for faculty, main department administration, GRAs, visiting scientists, and postdocs, Willard Hall will house instructional spaces for the introductory geology lab, instrumentation and demonstration room (to be used by the intro lab, other geology classes, visiting student groups, outreach activities, etc), and computing lab. The main department will be accessed via a new east entrance lobby from a themed courtyard. The main research lab spaces will be relocated to the east of Willard Hall across the pedestrianized area in CBC, the chemistry and biochemistry building. CBC will also house GTA offices and meeting rooms and an instructional space for geochemistry lab classes. Immediately to the north and connected to CBC, King Hall will house an instructional space for advanced geology lectures and labs, and further research lab spaces to include sample staging and rock processing facilities. We look forward to this new chapter for geology with improved facilities and infrastructure for teaching and research.
Dr. Joel Spencer, September 2024.
