Health science wins community support
For Dr Basil Hetzel it is a great honour to become the namesake of another building in SA. UniSA’s new health sciences building will be known as the Hetzel building, a tribute to Dr Hetzel’s enormous commitment to public health globally and to his service to UniSA as its Chancellor between 1992 and 1998.
And he is especially pleased that it is a purpose-built teaching facility.
“Education is all important to bridging the gap between what we know in the research lab and what can be applied effectively for individual men and women during the course of their lives,” Dr Hetzel said.
And the new five levels of teaching and research space are impressive.
Part of the success of the project is its state of the art design. It features some 2,000m2 of multipurpose biomechanics, pharmaceutics and microbiology laboratory space and technologically sophisticated postgraduate research facilities that allow researchers to work safely with a range pathogens.
Architects Cox Grieve Gillett have designed a building that invites engagement, with the eastern aspect of the building fronting Frome Road, offering a fully glazed view into student research and teaching.
Support for the project has also come from the private sector. Mutual Community has contributed more than $100,000 to provide some special features for students including a colourful and airy 338 seat auditorium (pictured above) to be known as the Mutual Community auditorium.
Outside the building on the new open plaza, and also sponsored by Mutual Community, is a Gobo screen which will be used to project information about public lectures to be held in the new auditorium.
Dr Hetzel said in a world where there are a host of new challenges in the patterns of health and disease and where health very much depends on lifestyle and diet, it is invaluable to support health research that investigates preventable diseases such as heart disease and cancer.
“What I really welcome is the commitment of the corporate sector in providing funding that will directly affect better health in the community,” he said.
“The education and research supported at UniSA will have the kind of long term benefits that matter.”