Chancellor Michael F. Collins will welcome Gov. Deval Patrick and Lt. Gov. Tim Murray and a host of other dignitaries to the official Albert Sherman Center ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday, Jan. 30, at 3 p.m. in the Sherman Center Atrium, marking the opening of a building that promises to transform research, education and campus life at UMass Medical School.
Members of the UMass Medical School community can watch the ceremony via live webcast.
In addition to Chancellor Collins, Gov. Patrick and Lt. Gov. Murray, other speakers will include UMass President Robert L. Caret, State Senate President Therese Murray, Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo and other dignitaries.
An essential element of the governor’s Life Sciences Initiative, the Sherman Center is an interdisciplinary, state-of-the-art research and education facility designed to maximize interaction and collaboration among researchers, educators and learners to encourage innovation and learning across disciplines. It will be home to the UMMS Advanced Therapeutics Cluster, comprising the RNA Therapeutics Institute, the Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, and the Gene Therapy Center; the Department of Quantitative Health Sciences; and the interprofessional Center for Experiential Learning and Simulation. The Sherman Center will also be home to the labs of 2006 Nobel Laureate and UMass Medical School Professor Craig Mello, who will continue his groundbreaking work on RNA interference, a major focus of the Life Sciences Initiative.
At 512,000 square feet, the Sherman Center includes research space for more than 100 investigators, six learning community centers, auditorium seating for 350, a cafeteria and a fitness center.
