Industry News


Outdoor spaces promote mental health and wellness

Outdoor Spaces Help Promote Mental Health and Wellness on Campus

Today, college students are experiencing tremendous pressure and stress caused by an ever-broadening range of influences and factors, negatively impacting many aspects of social development, learning, and overall well-being.

Penn State nuclear reactor facility

Penn State Expanding On-Campus Nuclear Reactor

Penn State is expanding its on-campus nuclear reactor and the facility that houses it. The university broke ground on the $9.5-million project, which is intended to accommodate an upcoming equipment donation, facilitate neutron beam research and help grow the nuclear engineering program at the institution.

Virginia Military Institute Aquatic Center

Virginia Military Institute Pushing Off with New Aquatic Center

A military college has begun construction on a new aquatic center. The $44.2 million project underway at the Virginia Military Institute is scheduled for completion in November 2022.

Colorado College Uses Grants to Add Construction Program

A public technical college in Colorado will be launching a new construction trades certification program that will give students experience in building affordable housing.

Ecore, Spartan Surfaces Relaunch Popular Flooring Line

Ecore, a company that converts reclaimed materials into a variety of performances surfaces, announced this week that it is partnering with flooring sales and marketing company Spartan Surfaces to relaunch its popular ECOsurfaces product line.

Texas Debuts New Elementary School

The Lamar Consolidated Independent School District (Lamar CISD) in Fort Bend County, Texas, about 40 miles west of Houston, celebrated the start of 2022 with the opening of a new elementary school.

Two U.S. Executive Departments Partner to Address School Bus Driver Shortage

The U.S. Department of Transportation recently announced that it is coordinating with the U.S. Department of Education and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to address a labor shortage of school bus drivers.

Toronto Junior Middle School Installs New Acoustic Panels

Islington Junior Middle School in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, which serves students in grades PreK–8, recently announced that it has installed new acoustic ceiling and wall tiles in four of its classrooms.

Fresno, Calif., Aims to Convert Motel to Affordable Student Housing

The city of Fresno, Calif., recently proposed the conversion of a local motel into a housing facility for students at Fresno City College. Construction could be complete as soon as fall 2022, providing 69 apartments with subsidized rent that could provide space for about 300 students.

Princeton Breaks Ground on Campus Expansion

Last month, officials at Princeton University gathered to break ground on the Lake Campus Development in West Windsor, N.J.

Ron Nyce

Riot Glass, Inc., Names New Vice President of Operations

Retrofit security glass and door systems solutions company Riot Glass, Inc., recently named its new Vice President of Operations.

Boston University to Debut Digital Learning, Innovation Center

Boston University is on track to open its new Shipley Center for Digital Learning & Innovation to students in early 2022.

UK Markey Cancer Center

U Kentucky Trustees Approve Land Purchase for Cancer Outpatient Center

This week, the University of Kentucky Board of Trustees approved a purchase agreement of $6.9 million for parcels of land near the university’s Albert B. Chandler Hospital in Lexington, Ky., to construct a new outpatient cancer treatment center.

U Alabama Trying Out Solar-Powered Pods

Shortly, the campus of the University of Alabama will sport a set of small, greenhouse-like structures where students can have private, socially-distanced space for their studies or relaxation.

Abandoned Elementary School to Get $30.5M Renovation

Windmill Street Elementary School in Providence, R.I., has sat abandoned for more than a decade. The building has experienced three fires within the last four months. Now, the facility is set for a $30.5-million renovation project that will allow it to open its doors to students once again.

Survey: Today's Classrooms Emphasizing Spacing and Flexibility

The classrooms of today are spacing students farther apart and emphasizing other aspects of health and wellness. That's what a survey of 140 teachers by National Business Furniture found.

Nebraska District Adopts Audio Enhancement in Classrooms

Nebraska's Lincoln Public Schools has gone public with its implementation of an audio enhancement system that allows teachers' and students' voices to be more easily heard throughout the entire classroom, including behind face masks. The district is working with Audio Enhancement, a company that produces classroom AV products.

Nonprofit Pledges $500M to Public Charter Schools Led By People of Color

The Equitable Facilities Fund (EFF) will provide long-term, low-cost financing directly to school leaders of color who reflect the communities they serve.

Orchard Park Redevelopment University of California Davis

UC Davis Housing Redevelopment to Accommodate Four Times More Students

Construction is moving apace on a 1,600-bed student housing community for the University of California, Davis. Scheduled for completion in fall 2023, the community will provide 189 two-bedroom units for students with families and 424 studios and four-bed apartments for 1,100 graduate students.

Harold Black, Mary Blackwell Diallo and Kerry Rushin Miller

U Georgia to Name Two Buildings after Distinguished Black Graduates

Days after the Board of Regents for the University System of Georgia declined to rename dozens of colleges and buildings carrying names of historic figures who supported slavery and racial segregation, the University of Georgia recommended renaming two facilities on its campus for some of the university's earliest and most distinguished African American graduates.

University Installs Microphone Array Ceiling Tiles

Michigan Technological University (MTU) in Houghton, Mich., recently announced that it has outfitted two of its on-campus spaces with ClearOne BMA 360 Beamforming Microphone Array Ceiling Tiles.

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