‘we don’t have any fat left’:Lack of funding leaves chem labs ‘outdated, hazardous’

The University has been left scrambling for funds to renovate Riebsomer Hall in the wake of Bond D’s failure at the November elections.

The Board of Regents unanimously voted to reallocate $3 million toward the renovations from other sources, but University spokeswoman Karen Wentworth said that $12 million more is needed. Bond D would have provided $10 million for the renovation.

“UNM will request critical capital outlay funds from the 2011 session of the New Mexico State Legislature, but no one knows whether any money will come from that source,” she said.

David Bear, interim chair of the chemistry department, said without renovations the chemistry labs are outdated and potentially hazardous.

“The things that were considered safe in 1950 are not necessarily the same things that are considered safe in 2011,” he said. “The ventilation really needs to be better. On top of that, the research laboratories have not had any renovations done to them at all, with the exception of one lab on the top, since 1966. They’re just in grave need of repair.”

Bear said the department does not have sufficient facilities to attract new professors. He said with five professors retiring in the next five to 10 years, filling open slots will be challenging.

The regents reallocated $500,000 from the Emergency Building Renewal fund to finance renovations. This money will be spent on bathrooms, roof and flooring renovations. About $2.5 million will come from the UNM 2007 Bond Fund and will go toward the solar energy lab, the organic chemistry teaching lab and various laboratory equipment, Wentworth said.

Student Jessica Friedman said the lab conditions have been an issue. She said faulty equipment in the labs was also a recurring problem.

“They’re really out of date. They’re really filthy,” she said. “After you’ve been using a lab for so many decades, it just gets covered in chemicals — and dangerous ones too.”

Melissa Vargas, the Provost’s Office’s strategic planner, said funding for renovations to the chemistry building outweigh the need to complete the Castetter Hall addition. Only one story of the three-story addition will be operational.

“I am not aware of any prospects for funding for Castetter Hall at this time, although we will continue to look at various options,” she said.