Renovations continue in Missouri State’s Roy Blunt Hall but the university is ready to celebrate the completion of a new addition to the building, which houses the College of Natural and Applied Sciences.
The public is invited to attend a dedication of the addition at 10:15 a.m. Sept. 12 in front of the north entrance. A short program will be followed by student-led tours.
The event will also recognize those who contributed to the project.
The new addition to Blunt Hall on the left and the original structure on the right on Wednesday, July 9, 2025.
Started in December 2022, the project included an $80 million addition. The final phase of the project, a renovation of existing spaces, is on track to be completed as planned in summer 2026.
Tamera Jahnke, dean of the College of Natural and Applied Sciences, said extra space for teaching and research labs has been needed.
“We had outgrown the building and were using closets for labs,” Jahnke said, in a Sept. 2 news release. “Now we have the facilities our students and faculty deserve, and science is truly on display.”
The 77,000-square-foot addition includes fully equipped and updated labs, lecture halls and outdoor learning labs. A series of large windows on the north side allow visitors to see research in action, showcasing science.
Jahnke said the project will help recruit students and support faculty research. She said, in the release: “Our faculty are already producing outstanding research, and now we have a building that reflects the quality of their work.”
A dedication ceremony for the Roy Blunt Hall addition at Missouri State University is set for Sept. 12, 2025.
Formerly known as Temple Hall, the original building was renamed for retired U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, who championed federal funding for the project. A closer look at the funding sources:
$30.2 − State of Missouri through the American Rescue Plan Art, or ARPA in fiscal years 2023 and 2024;
$30 million − Health and Human Resources and Services Administration;
$19.8 million − National Institute of Standards and Technology.
Missouri State publicly thanked Gov. Mike Kehoe, former Gov, Mike Parson, and other lawmakers who supported the project including state Sen. Lincoln Hough, chair of Senate Appropriations.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: MSU will host dedication, tours of Blunt Hall addition Sept. 12