St. John’s University to Formally Dedicate New $106 Million, St.
Source
September 13, 2024
For Immediate Release
Media Contact: Brian Browne, Associate Vice President, University Communications & Public Affairs 917-561-7068 or [email protected]
(Queens, NY, September 13, 2024) – On Wednesday, September 18, St. John’s University will formally dedicate the new, $106 million, state-of-the-art St. Vincent Health Sciences Center at its Queens, NY, campus, marking another significant milestone in St. John’s enduring commitment to fostering service, innovation, and academic excellence.
For nearly a century, St. John’s has been one of the largest educators of health-care personnel in the New York metropolitan area. Now, the sleek, new, 70,000-square-foot St. Vincent Health Sciences Center is home to hundreds of students in the University’s Nursing, Radiologic Sciences, and Physician Assistant programs each year, transforming the landscape of health sciences education and research at the 102-acre campus. CannonDesign was the architect and Shawmut Design and Construction was the construction manager for the project that began in Spring 2022.
Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P., President, St. John’s University, said, “The opening of the St. Vincent Health Sciences Center represents our unwavering commitment to providing our students with the best possible resources and facilities. It is a testament to St. John’s dedication to advancing our elevating mission of knowledge, service, and innovation.”
Simon G. Møller, Ph.D., Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, said, “This innovative facility will not only enhance our teaching capabilities, but also inspire the next generation of health-care workers. St. John’s is excited to see the incredible discoveries and advancements that will emerge from this new building. St. John’s is well positioned to address the national shortage of health-care workers in the metropolitan region and beyond.”
Key Features of the Center’s Teaching and Learning Environment
Virtual Reality (VR) Technology: This allows health-care providers, students, and patients an engaging and effective way to learn about the human body. Users can upload any 3D scan and render it in virtual or augmented reality within seconds. Instead of examining a figure on a flat screen, users enter a virtual world where they can manipulate the figures and view them from every angle. Images can be “grabbed,” segmented, moved in any direction, or enlarged enough to “walk through” to view from inside. Teaching tools enable faculty to create unique content and allow for real-time or repeated viewing of recorded sessions in VR. Recordings can be used to create customized learning modules.
Modern Classrooms and Simulation Labs: State-of-the-art classrooms and lecture halls provide an optimal learning environment for students. Multiple Skills and Assessment Flex Labs and Hi-Fidelity Simulation Centers comprise approximately 25 percent of the building’s assignable floor area. Students’ clinical skills training within these “hospital” settings will be observed through one-way glass and remotely via audiovisual capture systems. Advanced Simulation Laboratories will be equipped with the latest technology to support groundbreaking health-care education training in a real-life clinical setting.
Cohort and Collaborative Learning Spaces: The building offers a range of study spaces that support cohorts of students learning together, with the design of spaces inspired by the trend toward Learning Communities (mentorship and cohort groups) in medical education. Faculty offices have been designed to encourage collaboration within more open environments than traditionally provided, and collaborative learning spaces have been created to encourage interdisciplinary collaboration among students, faculty, and researchers.
Anne Y. F. Lin ’84P, ’86Pharm.D., FNAP, Dean and Professor, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, said, “The new academic resources and technology found in the St. Vincent Health Sciences Center provides students with a state-of-the-art educational environment and opportunities in professional development and simulation, offering a more effective and engaging learning experience. Students now have a place where they can learn about, from, and with each other.”
Highly trained health-care professionals are in tremendous demand. The three-story building has capacity for 300 nursing students and 75 physician assistant students annually. The Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at St. John’s was re-established in 2022; since then, what began with 68 applicants has jumped to nearly 2,800 applicants for Fall 2024. The new facility—planned and designed remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic with student and faculty input—opened for classes on September 4.
Francine Laterza, Ed.D., R.N., PNP, CNE, Chair, Department of Nursing, and Associate Professor/Industry Professional, said, “The opening of the St. Vincent Health Sciences Center at St. John’s is a significant development for the growing nursing program. The simulation center enables nursing students to practice and master essential skills in a safe and realistic environment. The center’s design encourages collaboration among various health sciences programs, preparing students for real-world health-care settings. Our new facility allows for increased enrollment and program expansion, addressing the growing demand for skilled nurses in the region.”
Sandra Beysolow, Ph.D., PA-C, DFAAPA, Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Health Professions, said, “Training students with the latest technology will place our graduates at the forefront of what employers seek for varied careers in the health professions, including physician assistants, radiologic scientists, and clinical laboratory scientists.”
Environmental Innovation and Sustainability
Built with eco-friendly materials and energy-efficient systems, the all-electric building reflects the University’s dedication to sustainability and environmental stewardship. The building features solar panels and bird-safe glass windows and is expected to earn LEED Silver certification.
The facility is heated and cooled using a geothermal field, which features 66 wells drilled 499 feet below ground. Geothermal energy takes advantage of the constant temperature of the shallow earth to efficiently exchange temperatures, heating in the winter and cooling in the summer. With innovative efforts at improved sustainability, the increased use of geothermal energy decreases fossil fuel use and resulting greenhouse gas emissions.
The new building improves accessibility on the campus and provides easier access, serving as a pass-through from the Residence Village to the Great Lawn and the main academic hub of the campus.
Brian Baumer, Associate Vice President, Campus Facilities and Services, said, “The opening of the St. Vincent Health Sciences Center marks a transformative milestone for the facilities department at St. John’s, showcasing a state-of-the-art environment that promotes sustainability, efficiency, and excellence in education. This modern, energy-efficient building, featuring geothermal heating and cooling, advanced labs, and flexible learning spaces, highlights St. John’s commitment to creating an innovative and inspiring campus for all.”
David Margolius, Executive Vice President of Shawmut Design and Construction’s New York Metro region, said, “Celebrating the ribbon-cutting of the St. Vincent Health Sciences Center is a proud moment for all of us at Shawmut. We are passionate about building purposeful spaces that advance communities and reflect shared values, all executed with an innovative, collaborative spirit. This project and the team’s journey exemplify that. We are honored to have collaborated with St. John’s, CannonDesign, and our dedicated trade partners to bring this state-of-the-art building to life. It will now serve as a catalyst for training the next generation of caregivers, who will carry forward the mission of knowledge and service.”
John Reed, AIA, Design Principal, CannonDesign said, “We are both honored and humbled to have been asked by St. John’s University to collaborate with them with this very important new building. Our goal for this project was to create a building that can be both transformative in the student’s education and also sit comfortably within the historic ensemble of buildings which ring the Great Lawn. We look forward to the impact the graduating students will make in the field of healthcare and to the continuing success of St. John’s Health Sciences Programs.”
Mark Kornegay, Group Vice President, Vertical Markets for Spectrum Enterprise, said, “Spectrum Enterprise provides high-speed connectivity throughout St. John’s University as part of the University’s strong digital foundation. This infrastructure bolsters the seamless integration of new technologies and enables the new St. Vincent Health Sciences Center to deliver innovative and immersive learning experiences, preparing students for the future of healthcare.”
Private and Public Support
Construction of the St. Vincent Health Sciences Center was accomplished with a mix of private and public funds, including a $5 million New York State Higher Education Capital Matching Grant, a $700,000 Empire State Development Grant, and $1.25 million from the US Department of Health and Human Services.
The atrium in the building is named in memory of Dorothea “Dorie” Hayes Davatzes’66Ed and Nickolas “Nick” Davatzes ’62C, ’64G, ’95HON, Trustee Emeritus, cable television pioneer, and Chief Executive Officer Emeritus of A+E Television Networks, LLC. In 2022, the Davatzes family made a five-million-dollar commitment to support the University that first brought their parents together as undergraduates 60 years earlier.
More than $20 million in generous philanthropic support was provided by alumni couple and longtime St. John’s benefactors Board of Trustees Chair Emeritus Peter P. D’Angelo ’78MBA, ’06HON and Trustee Margaret LaRosa D’Angelo ’70Ed, ’22HON.
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About St. John’s University
St. John’s University is a private, coeducational, Roman Catholic University founded in 1870 by the Congregation of the Mission (the Vincentians), with its main campus located in Queens, NY. St. John’s University also has locations in Manhattan; in Rome, Italy; in Paris, France, and Limerick, Ireland. St. John’s University is comprised of six Schools and Colleges, including the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences; The Lesley H. and William L. Collins College of Professional Studies; St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; The Peter J. Tobin College of Business (including the Maurice R. Greenberg School of Risk Management, Insurance and Actuarial Science); The School of Education; and the School of Law. As of Fall 2023, the University has more than 1,400 full-time and part-time faculty; almost 16,000 undergraduate students; and 3,992 graduate students from 44 states and 119 countries. St. John’s offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate programs, including 16 doctoral programs.
