The University of Northern Iowa (UNI) in Cedar Falls, Iowa is hosting a competition that will result in artwork designed and created by an individual or team of artists for permanent installation in Begeman Hall. The 100-year-old building, home to UNI’s Physics Dept., has recently experienced an extensive renovation. As part of the Iowa Art In-State Building Project, the University commissions works of public art to celebrate new buildings and major renovations. These works of art generally complement the purpose and ideals of the new construction. The committee is seeking proposals for the installation of multiple works of art. The site for art installation includes the building interior, connecting glass enclosed walkway and Physics space in the adjacent Lang Hall.
A total of $64,000 has been budgeted for artist fees, final proposals, fabrication, shipping / transportation, artist’s travel to campus, and installation costs as part of the Iowa Art In-State Buildings Program, which mandates that one-half of one percent of the total estimated cost of new and renovated buildings will be used to purchase art. The UNI Art in Architecture Committee administers this project. The committee consists of members representing all divisions of the University, occupants of the selected building and students. Administration of the chosen artist’s contract is by the UNI Department of Facilities Planning.
The floors in Begeman Hall pay tribute to its century of service—they remain substantially as they looked in 1907, but all other architectural features are new: Five new teaching laboratories, two lecture rooms, a dedicated computer lab, five new student-faculty research labs, a student lounge, loading dock and new elevator highlight the renovated building.
Teaching laboratories in Modern Optics (room 013), the Butterworth Modern Physics Laboratory (room 014), Electronics & Robotics (room 214), and General Physics (room 314) join with an 18-seat Computer Lab (room 102) and two lecture halls (rooms 114 and 301) in emphasizing the modern teaching credentials of Begeman Hall. Teaching laboratory areas are in studio or small-group format, to promote team work among students. Lecture areas have movable seats to allow group work, an aid to promoting activity-based learning.
An additional general physics and physical science education teaching lab renovated in Lang Hall (room 243), across the glass-enclosed walkway on the eastern end of Begeman Hall’s 2nd Level. This area provides studio seating for an additional 32 students.
Research labs (rooms 001, 002, 201, 202, and 302) provide areas for students to work one-on-one with faculty members on cutting edge research in areas such as lasers, holography, low-temperature magnetism, nanoscience and materials science. Applied optics and nano-scale surface science are areas of particular research strength. This applied research supports the university’s growing expertise in technology transfer and it also provides hands-on experience to graduate students in the new and growing Professional Science Master’s in Applied Physics program.
Physics Education research, and the training of future high school physics teachers, has been a part of Begeman Hall from its earliest years and it remains a high priority. One fifth of the current physics faculty are active researchers in physics teaching and learning, and they participate with Science Education colleagues in supervising Master’s of Science students in science education. Curriculum development for secondary physics and physical science students has been supported through national Science Foundation funding for many years (the UNI PRISMS and PRISMS PLUS programs). An in-service teacher education program to provide high school science teachers with enhanced physics teaching knowledge and skills (PRISST) is now active.
The ten UNI Physics faculty members have research topics that span the physical sciences, from nanoscience to computational cosmology. Five work in areas of experimental physics on topics such as low-temperature magnetism, surface physics, and lasers and holography; three are in theoretical or computational physics with research interests in biophysics, high-temperature superconductivity, and general relativity; two carry out research in the area of physics education. Seventy undergraduates currently major in physics, applied physics or physics education. Ten graduate students are enrolled in the new Professional Science Master's program in Applied Physics.
Renovation of Begeman Hall provided a window for renovating nearby portions of Lang Hall to create several new science laboratories and support areas. One area (Lang Hall rooms 383 and 385) has been renovated to support the university’s growing interdisciplinary program in nanoscience and nanotechnology education. The Center for Education in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (CENN) is a cooperative venture between faculty in Physics, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Biology and Industrial Technology, directed toward educating undergraduates and in-service high school science teachers about nanotechnology. Lang 383 is one of the few interdisciplinary nanoscience teaching lab in what will be a campus-wide series of linked classrooms and facilities. This particular laboratory has seating for 16 students and provides three state-of-the-art scanning probe microscopes for nano-structure characterization and four chemical hoods to allow careful laboratory work. Further information concerning the Department of Physics can be found at their webpage (click here)
The proposed site includes the public space of the interior of the Begeman Hall and the Physics Annex in Lang Hall, generally halls and stairwells. Originally opened in 1907 as UNI’s first science laboratory building, the facility has a rich history of science education, both for research and teaching. The original building was built to be fire proof, with floors, ceiling, and roof composed of concrete. The recent renovation maintains that stone and concrete feel. For current floor plans, photos, architecture drawings and renderings, please see our web site at: http://www.uni.edu/artarch www.uni.edu/artarch/mcleod_pics.html
Begeman Hall is situated near the northeast border of campus among a variety of trees. Three Douglas Fir are prominently located to the south of the building. Just west of the south steps is a Northern Red Oak, with Maple and Oak species indigenous to Iowa surrounding the rest of the building. The building has a rectangular floor plan with the longest side facing north and south. The main entrance is located to the south. The main entrance features a large staircase leading into small entryway. Photos of the interior art provided at the website http://www.uni.edu/artarch.