After about three years of construction and planning, university administrators, alumni and donors gathered to celebrate the official unveiling of UF’s new multimillion-dollar chemistry building.
Joseph Hernandez Hall, which sits on the corner of University Avenue and Buckman Drive, cost about $66.6 million and was completed over the span of 2 1/2 years.
At a ceremony held April 21, guests including UF President Kent Fuchs and Board of Trustees Vice Chair Mori Hosseini cut a ceremonial ribbon and spoke about the role the facility will have in the future of the university.
Fuchs said the new facility, which will serve about 9,000 undergraduate students each year, symbolizes research, science and teaching.
Hosseini said the 6,777 yards of concrete used to construct the building is enough to lay a sidewalk from Gainesville to Micanopy and back.
“Many people have worked very hard for many years to make this building a reality,” Hosseini said.
Hanging over the entrance of the building is a 650-pound stainless steel sculpture depicting fullerene, which is a form of carbon. The art installation, which includes a Plexiglas centerpiece, is suspended by six steel cables.
In addition to brand new equipment, the building’s interior has a general chemistry lab that accommodates about 300 students. Gigi Marino, the communications director of UF's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, said the upgrades are notable in comparison to the existing chemistry facilities: Leigh Hall and the Chemistry Lab Building.
At the ceremony, speakers praised UF alumnus Joseph Hernandez, who donated $10 million toward the completion of the building.
Hernandez, a 43-year-old entrepreneur based in New York, is the youngest donor in UF’s history to provide a donation of this magnitude, Marino said.
Hernandez, whose parents immigrated to the U.S. from Cuba, has received a bachelor’s degree and two master’s degrees from UF.
Hernandez said he made his contribution not only to enhance the university’s chemistry department, but to show appreciation toward the institution that positively altered the trajectory of his life.
“I hope the message of the building is that this country is a place where you can come from nothing and choose something in life,” Hernandez said. “I hope it inspires students to not look back at what’s their history, but move forward as to what impact they can make in life.”
A 650-pound sculpture depicting a form of carbon is suspended by six steel cables over the entrance of Joseph Hernandez Hall, a $66.6 million building that was officially unveiled April 21.
