Former Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, eighth from left, joins Pellissippi State to break ground on the new Bill Haslam Center for Math and Science on the college's Hardin Valley Campus May 15. The Tennessee Board of Regents approved the name of the building May 14, and the name was announced, to Haslam's surprise, at the groundbreaking ceremony; image submitted

KNOXVILLE - Pellissippi State Community College broke ground on a new academic building on its Hardin Valley Campus and announced that the building has been named the Bill Haslam Center for Math and Science.

As governor of Tennessee from 2011 to 2019, Haslam was key to establishing Tennessee Promise and Tennessee Reconnect, last-dollar scholarships that provide two years of tuition-free attendance at a community or technical college in Tennessee.

"We would not be here today without the leadership of Bill Haslam, who made it a priority to increase the number of college graduates in our state and responded with programs like Tennessee Promise and Tennessee Reconnect, which have opened doors for more students to continue their education at community colleges," said Pellissippi State President L. Anthony Wise Jr. "A recent study by the Postsecondary Education Research Center at the University of Tennessee showed that Tennessee Promise already has increased retention and graduation rates for full-time, first-time freshmen at Pellissippi State, and we know anecdotally that Tennessee Reconnect is helping adults without degrees achieve their dreams of obtaining a college education as well. We are honored to have Bill Haslam's name on this building."

The new 82,000-square-foot Bill Haslam Center for Math and Science will help Pellissippi State, the largest community college in Tennessee with 10,894 students, meet demands for classrooms and lab spaces that have increased due to Tennessee Promise and Tennessee Reconnect.

The Bill Haslam Center for Math and Science, which will be located on Pellissippi State's Hardin Valley Campus in Knoxville, will include 18 classrooms, six computer labs and nine science labs, as well as a teacher education center for the college's Early Childhood Development and Teacher Education programs.

Pellissippi State expects to open the new building for classes in fall 2021.

The total project cost for the construction of the Bill Haslam Center for Math and Science is $27 million, and Tennessee's community colleges are required to provide a minimum of 10 percent match for all state building projects. Significant progress has been made toward the $2.7 million fundraising goal due to generous contributions from donors such as the Haslam Family Foundation; Pilot Flying J; UT-Battelle; Oak Ridge Associated Universities; UCOR, an AECOM-led partnership with Jacobs; and Stowers Machinery Corporation.

For more information about the Campaign for Pellissippi State, visit www.pstcc.edu/campaignforpellissippistate. For more information on Pellissippi State, visit www.pstcc.edu or call 865-694-6400.