Yeah, if I understand, this is just an expansion of their office space, and has nothing to do with the expansion of the actual Cyclotron they are currently shooting for.
You're correct LMich. They have been wanting this office expansion for a couple years now. Too many people doubling up in ofices. I really hope they are able to get the RIA. Argonne Labs is a tough one to have to go up against though.
I actually think MSU is the leading candidate for the RIA. The husband of my PI when I was at MSU did X-ray crystallography and thus visited Argonne with some frequency. MSU is consistently ranked #2 after MIT for this work and I seem to remember a number like 90% of nuclear physicists in this field got their PhD at MSU. That number seems high so I'll have to check it but that is what I'm remembering off the top of my head.
Anyway, I contacted 6-10 state/national politicians with stakes in this and more than 50% of them got back with me and are involved in this, including Andy Dillon, Joan Bauer, Carl Levin, etc. They told me that the Michigan Delegation has been involved in this from the beginning and are pushing the issue in Washington.
Yes, this seems like a very rare instance of our politicians actually coming together behind a huge economic play. From what I understand, the Michigan government is more organized than their Illinois counterpart when it comes to this project. But, I've actually heard different about who's more favored. From what I'd always heard RIA got more fame/prestige if even MSU's facility did more work, so I have no idea who's the frontrunner.
The construction.msu.edu website has a new look and some new images that I don't remember seeing before. I think the cyclotron was up here before, but it has since gone away when MSU moved the location of their images.
$7 million gift for nursing school expansion. Good to see MSU grow and building new things in general, but especially good to be building in a field like nursing that capitalizes on a strong demand.
That curved cement wall in front of the building is now clad with marble and a big "Michigan State University". It is a really nice looking building and will be one the of the first things seen when driving onto campus down Shaw Lane.
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Anyway, I contacted 6-10 state/national politicians with stakes in this and more than 50% of them got back with me and are involved in this, including Andy Dillon, Joan Bauer, Carl Levin, etc. They told me that the Michigan Delegation has been involved in this from the beginning and are pushing the issue in Washington.
Cyclotron expansion:
$7 million gift for nursing school expansion. Good to see MSU grow and building new things in general, but especially good to be building in a field like nursing that capitalizes on a strong demand.
And the Farm Lane work: