Augusta University receives nearly $100 million for research upgrades

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – It’s a move to push Augusta University towards its goal of becoming a top research university.

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signed off on nearly $100 million to help fund a new research building at the institution.

The funding was included in the state budget signed at the state capitol Thursday.

Augusta University’s President, Dr. Russell Keen, says this will impact patients, students, and the entire community.

The goal, he says, is to make Augusta and the Medical College of Georgia a destination for healthcare and education.

The motivation behind this new research building is the aging infrastructure on campus — Keen says one of the current research buildings is more than 50 years old — and many world-class researchers use that building.

He says in addition to the nearly $100,000,000 from the state, the university received various community donations, including $5,000,000 from the city.

David Stepp, a faculty member and Dean of Research at MCG, enthused, “We are creating somewhere in the vicinity of $45,000,000 to $50,000,000 in jobs in the Augusta area, and that will expand further as we increase our ability to hire more faculty in the new building.”

Dr. Keen says the location for this new building will be on Laney Walker Boulevard.

He says it will take anywhere from 12 to 15 months to design the building — and then another 15 months for construction.

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