Norfolk State University, in partnership with S. B. Ballard Construction Company, hosted a Topping Out Ceremony Wed., March 18, to celebrate the placement of the last steel beam on the new Science Building, now under construction.
The ceremony featured remarks from Dr. Gerald Ellsworth Hunter, Vice President for Finance and Administration; NSU President Dr. Javaune Adams-Gaston; and Stephen B. Ballard, Founder and CEO of S.B. Ballard Construction Co.
The event highlighted the state-of-the-art 131,376-square-foot building that will house the University’s biology, chemistry and physics departments, as well as the Dozoretz National Institute for Mathematics and Applied Sciences (DNIMAS). Event attendees also had the opportunity to sign the last beam and be a part of this exciting chapter of NSU history.
“It is important that we have the capacity in our facilities and spaces that will encourage and facilitate discovery, learning and evaluation,” said Dr. Adams-Gaston. “It will provide support to innovative science and research critical to the current standards of undergraduate education.”
The $118 million building broke ground in April 2025 and is scheduled for completion in Fall 2027.