Elder Andersen Dedicates Three New Buildings on BYU–Idaho Campus
Contributed By Marianne Holman Prescott, Church News staff writer
The Science and Technology Building on the BYU–Idaho campus.
Article Highlights
- Elder Andersen dedicated three new buildings on the BYU–Idaho campus.
- The buildings are the Science and Technology Center, Central Energy Facility, and Agricultural Science Center.
REXBURG, IDAHO
Three new buildings on the Brigham Young University–Idaho campus are officially dedicated after Elder Neil L. Andersen's visit to the Rexburg campus on February 14.
The Science and Technology Center, Central Energy Facility, and Agricultural Science Center were dedicated for use during a ceremony held in the Science and Technology Center.
Prior to delivering the devotional address (see related story), Elder Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles presided and dedicated the buildings. Sister Kathy Andersen accompanied her husband during the event.
Sharing a scripture found in Doctrine and Covenants 64:32, Elder Andersen spoke of how “all things must come to pass in their time.”
“This science and technology building, it’s its time,” he said. “There were a lot of people here who worked to have this happen.”
Recognizing all things come to pass in their time, Elder Andersen said, “Sometimes we have to be patient and wait. We all want certain things to happen for us or happen to this situation or that. But all things must come to pass in their time. So we wait.”
He also reminded listeners that “out of small things proceedeth that which is great.”
“By small and simple things great things come to pass,” he said. “A little bit of encouragement here, a little bit of teaching there, insightful principles here, a little bit of more dedicated study by a student, a little more kindness to one another, bring about wonderful things.”
BYU–Idaho President Clark G. Gilbert also shared brief remarks.
“It's my prayer that as we prepare for the dedication, as we prepare for the use of this building in this sacred space, that our students who come here will reflect back on their experiences and the lessons they learned and who they became,” President Gilbert said, “and how they were taught things both in science and of the Spirit.”
Science and Technology Center
Students at BYU–Idaho work with the cattle at the Agriculture Science Center by training the cattle to go where the students need them to go. Photo by Ryan Chase.
Elder Neil L. Andersen dedicates the new buildings on BYU–Idaho’s campus: the Science and Technology Center, Agricultural Science Center, and Central Energy Facility. Photo by Emily Gottfredson.
Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles tours the Science and Technology Center, Agriculture Science Center, and Central Energy Facility. Photo by Michael Lewis.
Located on the southern edge of campus, the new Science and Technology Center is a 106,008-square-foot building providing classrooms, labs, open study areas, and faculty office space for four departments on campus.
Built around the university’s learning model, the building provides space for students to gather and study together. The building includes open, flexible classrooms as well as study spaces for students. Home to the departments of animal and food science, applied plant science, computer information technology, and computer science and electrical engineering, the building houses 51 faculty offices, 23 classrooms, 18 lab spaces, two conference rooms, nine telecommunication rooms, and five student study rooms. The building includes 33 miles of electrical wire.
Among the features of the building are the 26 skylights providing natural light to spaces that do not have exterior windows. It is the most energy-efficient building on campus.
In addition to serving students on the weekdays, the building will be the meeting place for a local young single adult stake with 12 wards—and the capacity to hold up to 16 wards—every Sunday.
The main and upper levels of the new building opened in the fall of 2016, and the lower level opened for the current winter semester.
Central Energy Facility
Another new building to the Rexburg campus is the Central Energy Facility. Completed in the summer of 2016, the new facility provides energy and heats the 2.5 million square feet of buildings currently on the BYU–Idaho campus. The natural gas power plant replaced the previous coal-fired boilers on campus and was recognized by Rocky Mountain Power Company in August 2016 for its capacity to increase energy efficiency across campus.
It runs by way of a gas turbine—which has the capacity to power 75–80 percent of the buildings on campus—and has four boilers. The facility also has the capacity to support future buildings on campus.
The turbine pumps heat up to 1,000 degrees into a heat recovery steam generator, which then sends the steam throughout campus to heat buildings. The heat generator creates 10,000 pounds of steam per hour, with the capability to increase to 50,000 pounds of steam per hour.
The facility also includes a fuel oil backup system, which can be used in emergency situations. Each pipe in the facility is painted a specific color to help identify its purpose.
The electricity generated by this facility will be sold to local utility companies and then purchased back at a slightly lower rate. During peak hours the electricity is imported to campus, and during the off-peak hours, surplus electricity is exported off-campus.
Agricultural Science Center
What was formally known as the Livestock Center, the new Agricultural Science Center has been reconstructed—and 13 new structures have been added—to provide students with modern learning techniques. Located about five miles west of Rexburg off of Highway 33, the Agricultural Science Center sits on 140 acres of land that was acquired by the college in 1978. The facility is primarily used for labs and hands-on learning. The 13 new facilities include the livestock handling facility, heifer development facility, hog facility, poultry facility, feed lane, sheep facility, feed equipment storage, feed transfer facility, feed bins, maintenance shop, quarantine shed, and two hay storage facilities.
The existing classroom/arena building, hoop barn, pump house, farm house, storage shed, and observatory already on the property were not changed during the two-year renovation, although the indoor arena and classroom building was remodeled to accommodate better functionality.
What used to be known as the Livestock Center at BYU–Idaho has been redone and renamed the Agriculture Science Center and was dedicated on February 14. Photo by Michael Lewis.
The Central Energy Facility in winter. Photo by Ryan Chase.
What used to be known as the Livestock Center at BYU–Idaho has been redone and renamed the Agriculture Science Center and was dedicated on February 14. Photo by Michael Lewis.
The new heating plant at BYU–Idaho was dedicated by Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve on February 14. Photo by Ryan Chase.
The new heating plant at BYU–Idaho is more environmentally friendly and also has the ability to produce enough electricity to sell back to the grid, which will help pay for the facility. Photo by Michael Lewis.
Formerly known as the heating plant, the new Central Energy Facility will provide energy to the BYU–Idaho campus. Photo by Michael Lewis.
The new campus heating plant is now fully operational. Photo by Ryan Chase.
The Science and Technology Center at sunset. Photo by Ryan Chase.
Students at BYU–Idaho work with the cattle at the Agriculture Science Center by training the cattle to go where the students need them to go. Photo by Ryan Chase.
Students working with sheep in Kerry Powell’s Animal Science Animal Reproduction lab at the Agriculture Science Center in the Sheep Unit. Photo by Michael Lewis.
Students working with pigs in Amy Baeza’s Animal Science, Small Animal Production lab at the Agriculture Science Center in the Pig Unit. Photo by Michael Lewis.
Students working with sheep in Amy Baeza’s Animal Science, Small Animal Production lab at the Agriculture Science Center in the Sheep Unit. Photo by Michael Lewis.
What used to be known as the Livestock Center at BYU–Idaho has been redone and renamed the Agriculture Science Center and was dedicated on February 14. Photo by Michael Lewis.
Study area in the new Science and Technology Center on the BYU–Idaho campus. Photo by Michael Lewis.
Intro to Food Science taught by Jeff Hamblin in the new Science and Technology Center. Photo by Michael Lewis.
Elder Neil L. Andersen dedicates the new buildings on BYU–Idaho’s campus—the Science and Technology Center, Agricultural Science Center, and Central Energy Facility. Photo by Emily Gottfredson.
Elder Neil L. Andersen dedicates the new buildings on campus—the Science and Technology Center, Agricultural Science Center, and Central Energy Facility. Photo by Emily Gottfredson.
Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles tours the Science and Technology Center, Agriculture Science Center, and the Central Energy Facility. Photo by Michael Lewis.
