Campus Enhancements

Wilkes University will create one of the finest Division III athletic complexes in the Northeast with the addition of a new baseball stadium and a second turf field at the Ralston Athletic Complex. Plans for the project include improvements to walkways and gates, as well as spectator conveniences throughout the complex.

The 23,000-square-foot Mark Engineering Center is the result of a 16-month, $8 million renovation to engineering facilities in Stark Learning Center. Designed with student/faculty collaboration and real-world application in mind, the Mark Engineering Center features state-of-the-art, flexible laboratory and learning space in disciplines including nanotechnology, additive manufacturing and bioengineering. Stark’s refurbished façade also helps to beautify the center of campus.

The South Campus Gateway Project continues the theme of the Karambelas East Campus Gateway and links the heart of campus to the Henry Student Center. The project helps transform Wilkes into a more traditional and beautiful residential campus while improving safety and traffic flow for vehicles and pedestrians. Highlights include new entrances to the Henry Student Center parking lot from South River Street and South Franklin Street and an expanded south entrance to the student center complete with landscaping and outdoor seating.

The Karambelas Media and Communication Center consolidates all communication studies activities into one modern facility. The center includes classrooms, offices, state-of-the-art equipment, a centralized newsroom, a high-definition TV studio, a radio studio and a fully renovated exterior. The expanded Sordoni Art Gallery can now host high-profile exhibits by renowned artists. The new location provides higher visibility and greater accessibility to the campus community, the arts community and the general public, and contributes to downtown revitalization.

The NeuroTraining and Research Center, the only one of its kind in the northeastern Pennsylvania, uses the latest scientific research on brain function to teach techniques that help individuals to improve focus, attention and psychological well-being. The center, located in Breiseth Hall, features state-of-the-art equipment and provides research and internship opportunities for Wilkes students studying psychology and neuroscience. Training techniques can benefit anyone seeking to improve focus, reduce stress and increase calmness.

The Karambelas East Campus Gateway connects Main Street to the heart of campus, graced at the entrance by a decorative archway. Pedestrian crosswalks on South Main and South Franklin streets slow vehicle traffic and enhance safety. The grand walkway features an 18-foot-tall clock, 11 classic lamp posts, 47,700 paver bricks, and more than 2,000 plants and trees, including five red maples, 1,000 pachysandra, 55 wood ferns and 27 oakleaf hydrangeas.

The Sidhu School of Business and Leadership, located in the Ron & Rhea Simms Center on Main, houses state-of-the-art equipment. This includes a financial market trading room that simulates a New York Stock Exchange trading floor complete with an electronic stock ticker, smart classrooms, faculty offices, student meeting rooms and club space allow for collaboration. The Sidhu School provides the ideal setting for a distinctive program that includes both academic coursework and a focus on personal and professional development to cultivate the next generation of business leaders.

The $35 million Lawrence and Sally Cohen Science Center houses the University’s award-winning departments of Biology, Chemistry and Biochemistry and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences. It features state-of-the-art equipment and related laboratory space for hands-on, experiential learning — a hallmark of the Wilkes experience. The third floor is dedicated to research laboratories for biology, chemistry and environmental research, encouraging interdisciplinary connections and faculty-student team interactions. Green features include energy-efficient lighting, energy-saving windows and a partially vegetated roof.