Opening Celebrations for New Academic Building, Nutrition Lab

An opening celebration for Meredith’s new Communication, Health, Exercise & Sports Science (CHESS) building will be held for students on August 29, 2022. 

This event follows a Grand Opening Ceremony that was held for faculty and staff on August 16 as part of Planning Week. President Jo Allen, ’80, said that this event was “a great way to start a new academic year seeing this investment in our facilities and instructional programs.”

The building celebrations also include tours of the recently renovated Nifong Nutrition Laboratory. 

Allen called the nutrition facility a great partnership between the donors and the program that has provided a state-of-the-art space. “The Nifong family saw a great need and worked with Institutional Advancement to bring this gift to bear,” she said.

Both events celebrate the recently completed building, which houses instructional space for the growing communication and exercise & sports science programs, and Meredith athletic offices. The building project was completed in July 2022 by Inland Construction.

Students will be able to learn and collaborate in the spaces, and opportunities for interdisciplinary work can take place including sports communication courses and student-based projects that span both majors of study. 

The CHESS building has a number of interior and exterior energy-saving features, including window and door frames that are insulated to prevent thermal transfer, roof insulation that is on average three times the basic building code, LED lighting, and a super high-efficiency central air cooling system.