Amarillo Student Center Ribbon-Cutting
A generous gift from the Amarillo Area Foundation (AAF) and the David D. and Nona S. Payne Foundation has helped the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) in Amarillo transform a portion of its School of Medicine-School of Health Professions building into an interprofessional student center for the more than 500 future health care professionals who train and attend classes at the campus.
Today, the university officially cut the ribbon on the new facility, which is located in the basement of the School of Medicine-School of Health Professions building. Speakers included TTUHSC President Tedd L. Mitchell, M.D.; AAF President and CEO Clay Stribling; and Adam Oleson, a third-year pharmacy student who serves as president for TTUHSC’s Amarillo Student Senate and the School of Pharmacy’s Student Council and Class of 2019.
Michael Hooten, Ed.D., Amarillo regional dean for the School of Health Professions, said the new student center is the first-of-its-kind space on the Amarillo campus. It will provide free internet access and will be equipped with a pool table and TV so students can remain on campus and interact with friends, classmates and colleagues during their down time between classes. Two adjacent rooms will also provide a quiet space where students can study, work on projects and organize group and interprofessional activities.
Hooten said the school had approximately 3,500 square feet available for the new facility. To create the student center, approximately half of that space was enclosed using existing arches as a framework for weather-worthy glass windows. New furniture within the enclosed area includes tables, chairs, booths and loungers.
The remaining outdoor space will be used as a patio to provide TTUHSC students with an outdoor study environment.
“The Amarillo Student Senate was involved in the planning process,” Hooten said. “Our students from the Schools of Medicine, Pharmacy, Health Professions and the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences are excited about having a dedicated and interactive space for studying, unwinding and meeting with their friends and student organization colleagues.”
