The opening of the Dr. Edwin G. & Dorothy Balbach Davis Global Center — headquarters for UNMC iEXCEL — will take place mid-fall, slightly later than expected, in part because of the cold and rainy weather during the winter and spring months.
Ken Hansen, associate vice chancellor for business and finance, said the lower level of the facility — future home to the Global Center for Health Security (GCHS) — is scheduled for completion by Oct. 1. The GCHS is the umbrella for several integrated, federally funded programs and a world leader in highly specialized training using simulation and quarantine, as related to responding to emerging infectious diseases and biopreparedness on the global stage.
Substantial completion of the remaining three levels of the Davis Global Center is scheduled to occur before Thanksgiving. Following substantial completion, the highly specialized technologies and equipment that require “dust free” installation will be installed, followed by training for the iEXCEL staff and the UNMC academic family.
“This is a highly technical, complicated construction project from the very beginning,” Hansen said. “That said, this facility is absolutely going to be spectacular and will revolutionize interprofessional education and training in health care.”
Pam Boyers, Ph.D., associate vice chancellor for iEXCEL, said that she and her staff continue to receive many inquiries related to scheduling curriculum activities, courses , events, and tours for iEXCEL and the Davis Global Center.
“The anticipation and excitement on campus is understandably high,” Dr. Boyers said. “While we are all looking forward to moving into, and operating in the Davis Global Center, it is critical that the technology is installed and made fully operational when the building is totally dust free. The iEXCEL staff will continue to work with deans, faculty, students and Nebraska Medicine staff to continue developing the programmatic foundations for iEXCEL.”
The Sorrell Simulation Lab and the Visualization Hub will continue to support the current activities during the final completion phase of the Davis Global Center, Dr. Boyers said.
More information about the timing of the transition to the Davis Global Center be communicated in future UNMC Today articles and through various other channels, Dr. Boyers said.
Other considerations based on questions received by faculty and students:
- The skywalks between the Davis Global Center and both the Sorrell Center and Lauritzen Outpatient Center will be open for pedestrians after construction and equipment move-in and installation is complete.
- A grand opening dedication ceremony, public open house and other related activities likely will take place after the completion of construction and the installation of all of the high technology equipment.
- An event to celebrate and recognize donors for the UNMC “front door” featuring the ceramic artwork of Jun Kaneko — at 42nd and Leavenworth — is being planned for late September.
- Enrollment is underway for the Virtual Reality Innovation Academy’s second cohort.
- During the transition of technology — notably the 3D CADwall, and the iWall — to the Davis Global Center, there will be a period of time, likely late fall or over the holiday period, where classes, events and tours will be deferred until the Davis Global Center becomes fully operational.
I’m so glad all this money is spent to quarantine global diseases. Wish you could spend that kind of money to treat diseases that occur locally. Like mental health diseases. Diseases that are causing people to commit suicide and go on mass shooting rampages. But why would you want a shinny new building for those problems.