UPLAND — Rain did not hinder attendees from crowding into Taylor University’s new Euler Science Complex for its dedication ceremony Friday afternoon.
People sat in the building’s large atrium and gathered near the railings of the three floors above and listened as school administrators, faculty, students and donors praised the new facility.
The Euler Science Complex opened to students this semester after an almost two-year construction process. The $41.7 million facility is designed to be partially powered by solar, wind and geothermal renewable energy sources.
During Friday’s dedication ceremony, Trustee Mark Taylor directed the celebration to “the God who created all of the science that will take place in this building.”
President Eugene Habecker compared the building’s development and construction process to a fairy tale, sharing the quality of having a happy ending. He described the building’s dimensions as being “castle-like.”
“There’s no magic here, but there is a sense of the miraculous,” Habecker said.
Jan Reber, professor of biology, praised the amount of storage space in the new building. Because of a lack of space in the old Nussbaum Science Center, Reber said she stored science supplies in her own home at times. The extra space also allows students to work on experiments for extended amounts of time without fear that their supplies will be disturbed.
The Euler Complex received nine times more contributions than any other building constructed at Taylor University, Ben Sells, vice president for university advancement, said. The facility was named in honor of the late Greg and Mary Fran Euler, former Taylor University science students and later residents of Upland.
Greg Euler, a Ford Motor Company employee, led a youth outreach organization in Detroit before moving with his wife to Upland in 1983. The couple also welcomed international students into their home.
“My parents are great examples of ordinary people doing extraordinary things,” said their daughter, Elizabeth Hendricks, who spoke at the dedication.
The Euler Complex is also seeking certification in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design or LEED. The internationally recognized program verifies “green” buildings and rates them in areas such as operating costs, waste management and conservation of energy and water. Andrew Avara, project manager with the Euler Complex, said the building anticipates a gold rating, but was two points away from the highest platinum rating.