ECTC holds groundbreaking for $16 million Science Building expansion

Elizabethtown Community and Technical College Chancellor Dr. Juston Pate said Tuesday’s groundbreaking for an expansion to the college’s Science Building is not just a kickoff for a construction project, it’s a kickoff for the next 40 years of the Science Building.

“Local workforce development is really the point for this,” Pate said. “When we talk about adding value to students’ lives and then returning that value back out into the community, it’s largely evident in the careers that they take.”

Pate discussed the expansion during ECTC’s annual Community Breakfast. The $16 million expansion to the west and south sides of the building is expected to be completed in 2027. Pate said biology and chemistry programs are important to the healthcare field, and the expansion comes at a time where healthcare worker shortages are seen across the area.

“By both expanding and providing more relevant experiences through this renovation, we’re really going to be enhancing our workforce through our students’ lives,” Pate said.

During the breakfast event, Jennifer Swope was presented with the ECTC Chancellor’s Pathfinder Award in recognition of her chairing of the ECTC Home for Hope campaign, which helped fund construction of the Family Scholar House housing facility.

Learn more about ECTC’s ongoing projects at ectc.us/grows.