Markin Hall makes its mark

After years of planning, looking at blueprints and imagining the opportunities offered by Markin Hall, the University of Lethbridge, together with the Premier of Alberta, officially opened the building on October 21, 2010.

“The University community is thrilled to be celebrating the opening of Markin Hall,” says U of L President Dr. Mike Mahon. “Markin Hall is a wonderful addition to campus and will provide outstanding opportunities for students, faculty and staff for years to come.”

Markin Hall was a main priority in the University of Lethbridge’s Legacy of Leadership campaign, which concluded in December of 2007. The campaign was the most ambitious in the University’s 40-year history and raised more than $35 million for students and infrastructure. When combined with government funding, the campaign resulted in a $113 million investment in the U of L.

In 2005, Dr. Allan Markin (LLD ’06) made a generous contribution to the Legacy of Leadership campaign. His visionary gift was combined with early private funding and support from the Government of Alberta, national corporations, U of L friends and alumni. Construction of Markin Hall began in 2008.

Now complete, the building is home to the Faculty of Health Sciences [1] and the Faculty of Management [2].

“By improving facilities on campus, the University is investing in its students,” says University of Lethbridge Students’ Union [3] President Taz Kassam. “Markin Hall provides a hands-on and interactive learning environment for U of L students and ensures we have the best resources and infrastructure to support our education.”

In addition to providing some much needed space for both undergraduate and graduate students, Markin Hall includes dedicated research areas for faculty members and their research teams, a purpose-built Addictions Counselling Lab, a Simulation Health Centre with wireless high-fidelity patient simulators and Western Canada’s first finance trading room.

“This is the most modern and forward-looking facility in Western Canada for studying business and management,” says Faculty of Management Dean Dr. Robert Ellis. “As well as classrooms with state-of-the-art capabilities, Markin Hall has 18 rooms where groups and individuals can study and work on projects together.”

In Markin Hall’s collaborative environment, the U of L will address Alberta’s most crucial issues and continue to invest in energetic, effective and strategic leaders in the fields of health care and management. 

“Markin Hall provides an opportunity for continued collaboration between the Faculty of Health Sciences and the Faculty of Management, including the development of a new combined degree in Public Health and Management. We look forward to many opportunities to develop innovative program and research collaborations in the coming years,” says Dr. Chris Hosgood, dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences.

By improving teaching, learning and research facilities, Markin Hall helps the U of L meet the needs of a shifting economy and a changing province.

Inside Markin Hall

Markin Hall, home to the Faculty of Health Sciences and the Faculty of Management, provides space for an additional 450 students. The state-of-the-art facility improves teaching, learning and research facilities at the University, helping meet the changing needs of the next generation of health-care and management professionals.

•    Markin Hall is a $65-million project.

•    Markin Hall covers 10,400 square metres on four floors and houses approximately 230 faculty, staff and graduate students.

•    The building provides space for more than 420 health sciences students and 1,600 management students.

•    Markin Hall includes $1.6 million of audio-visual equipment.

•    Markin Hall is certified silver by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards.

•    The building includes two video-conference rooms used to offer courses via video in Calgary and Edmonton. These classrooms double as case rooms for the Faculty of Management, offering closely tiered seating for 50 students, with adjacent breakout rooms for smaller group work.

•    In addition to the Simulation Health Centre, the Addictions Counselling Lab and the Markin Hall Finance Trading Room, which all provide hands-on experience, there are four experimental research labs used by the Faculty of Management to conduct behavioural research such as focus groups.

For a look at the full issue of SAM in a flipbook format, follow this link [4].