University acquires NOAA building as lab school home

MADISONVILLE, La. – Sen. John Kennedy’s (R-La.) plan for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to transfer the National Marine Fisheries Services (NMFS) building to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette is completed, following approval in the House and Senate. Kennedy is a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, which first adopted the plan.

The building space will be a part of a laboratory school initiative within the College of Education and Human Development, known as the Learning Lab.

“The completion of the building transfer plan is a big win for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. The laboratory school will benefit countless people in years to come, and I am proud that our work on the Appropriations Committee helped make this happen,” said Kennedy.

“The acquisition of the NOAA building enables the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and its College of Education & Human Development to provide, through the creation of a laboratory school, a space for high-quality teaching that will foster within our youngest minds a lifelong love of learning. The Learning Lab will be a place that will inspire creativity, embolden curiosity, and promote an environment where aspiring educators can immerse themselves in a living model of best educational practices. The hard work and dedication of Senator Kennedy has set all this in motion, and we’re very grateful for his leadership and support,” said Dr. Joseph Savoie, University of Louisiana at Lafayette president.

Background

•     In 1993, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and NOAA agreed that, if NOAA ceased operations, the building would return to the university.

•     Following NOAA’s announcement that or would discontinue operations in the building,Congress received a three-part plan, which includes returning the building to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, consolidating the NMFS into one suite in the building and leasing the space to NMFS from the University.

•     The university relocated federal partners housed in the NOAA building in order not to disturb their scientific work.

Photo caption: The University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s Learning Lab has a home. The College of Education & Human Development’s laboratory school will be housed in a two-story, roughly 70,000-square-foot building in UL Lafayette’s Research Park.