The Upham Hall North Wing is underconstruction for the remainder of the academic school year. (SAMANTHA LUDINGTON | The Miami Student)
A shaky Pearson Hall is causing the Electron Microscopy Facility (EMF) to make a big move this summer.
According to Robert Bell, project manager to the Upham Hall North Wing Rehabilitation, said the department will move into Upham because vibrations and electromagnetic fields cause an interference with the microscopes in the current Pearson EMF labs.
Richard Edelmann, electron microscopy facility director, said electron microscopes are capable of very high magnification. They have the capability to look at moving comets.
Edelmann said the microscopes are very sensitive to the acoustics and electromagnetic fields in Pearson Hall.
"It isn't suitable primarily because it is a science building," Edelmann said. "There are a lot of incubators, refrigerators and equipment we use for all of the science experiments."
Bell said many changes are being made in Upham to prevent future interference. Changes will include new wiring and piping, moving the location of the preexisting elevator, relocating vending machines and the installation of a three foot thick concrete wall around the EMF area.
"We will be using PVC piping opposed to metal or copper," Bell said.
Bell said there are pros and cons to each material choice for piping. While the PVC piping will cause less interference in the electromagnetic field, copper piping is better for long-lasting maintenance.
Bell said the EMF will be moved in by August.
"So far they are still scheduled to complete when we thought they would in July," Bell said. "Then we will have another six weeks to move furniture."
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The extended moving time will be necessary, Edelmann said. Each electron microscope will take about a week to move.
"We must take a lot of special precautions," Edelmann said. "There are several different parts that need to be taken apart and put back together by special engineers."
Among the microscopes being moved are a $650,000 scanning electron microscope and a $1.4 million transmission electron microscope.
"Specific reports testing different areas on campus for the EMF began in 2007," Bell said.
The tests recorded the amount of vibrations and electromagnetic activity.
Edelmann said the decision to move to Upham was made in 2008, after testing different locations on campus.
"By moving to the basement of Upham, we will be below ground and won't need to worry about vibrations," Edelmann said.
Bell said the EMF was originally located in Upham Hall in the 1980s but moved into Pearson upon its completion.
"There have been interference issues since Pearson opened in 1986," Edelmann said. "They built (Pearson) in a more cost efficient way, it is not as rigid."
Edelmann said although Upham is older, it's much sturdier.
Other departments will be moving around due to the renovations, Bell said. The department of mathematics and statistics has moved from Bachelor Hall, the department of anthropology will move from the south wing of Upham to the north and the department of history will also be affected.
Junior Kyle Molidor, who's in the history honors program, said he is looking forward to the renovations in the North Wing.
"If you look at the Farmer School and then you look at us in Upham, it's not even comparable," Molidor said.
Molidor said the department of history needs better chairs and desks. Also, each of his classrooms only has chalkboards; he would like to see dry erase boards and projectors.
"We have some signs going up to show new locations," Bell said. "We run into difficulties with people moving in at different times."
As of now, the department of mathematics and statistics is marked by a computer made sheet, hung with masking tape.
Bell said there will be a major sign revision over Miami University's spring break. A final revision will occur after each department has relocated.
"I have had to add an extra minute or two to my walk to class because so many entrances on the north wing have been closed off," Molidor said.
Bell said funding was cut from the original proposal.
"We couldn't pack in as many changes as we wanted on the upper floors," Bell said.
Bell said construction bids came in low so there was extra money available.
"We are going to put in some teaching labs for anthropology with the extra space," Bell said.
Bell said the committee is still in the process of figuring out what kind of anthropology teaching labs will be constructed.
"In the past two semesters I have had three of my classes in the exact same classroom," Molidor said. "If there is extra space I would really like to see the department of history expand."
Edelmann said students from 75 labs on Miami's Oxford, Hamilton, and Middleton campuses use the EMF.
"Last year we had over 250 users," Edelmann said. "There is a lot of research being done."
According to Edelmann, the electron microscopes are used for researching things like how muscles move and how to make new efficient batteries. The lab is used by students from numerous departments including psychology, anthropology, chemistry, kinesiology and health, physics and zoology.
"(Upham) will be a good fit, it is centrally located to many science buildings," Edelmann said.
Besides being beneficial to numerous academic departments, Bell said the plans for the Upham Hall rehabilitation included an increase in the handicap accessibility.
"We will have a new ramp on the entrance that comes in from the hub," Bell said. "We will also make the elevators bigger and nicer."
According to Bell the reconstruction will be up to date with the American Disabilities Act code of construction.
"A lot of our buildings are older," Bell said. "This is something we like to do whenever we are renovating."
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