UTB Biomedical Research Building officially opens

Officials dedicated Monday the new University of Texas at Brownsville Biomedical Research Building, which they said will produce cutting edge research to address health issues in the Rio Grande Valley and propel the school to a higher tier in medical research.

The facility funded by $34 million in state tuition revenue bonds houses 12 laboratories, four classrooms, eight faculty research areas and 12 science research facilities.

The University of Texas System Chancellor Dr. Francisco G. Cigarroa delivered the keynote address for the formal ceremony, which took place in the courtyard outside of the facility attended by Brownsville Mayor Tony Martinez, Texas Southmost College President Lily Tercero and other school and city officials.

UTB President Juliet V. Garcia said the new building will present research opportunities for local students in the medical and health care field and will aid the goal of attracting top-notch faculty to the school.

"One in five people in the Rio Grande Valley are diagnosed with diabetes," Garcia said. "Now we are poised to help some of the problems in the region."

Dr. Luis V. Colom, vice president for research at the university, spoke at the event and echoed Garcia’s sentiment about using the facility to research heath problems that plague the population locally, such as obesity and infectious diseases that spread across the border.

"There are too many health-related issues to address," Colom said.

Garcia said the research center is a mark of the growing university, which is only 20 years old.

"We are here today to celebrate the boldness of the elected officials who helped secure funds," Garcia said looking back to the university’s beginnings.

Cigarroa, also a pediatric transplant surgeon, said the new building will attract top professors and researchers, offering an interactive atmosphere and strong mentors for young scientists.

"I share your joy," he said. "This is an extremely proud moment for all of us."

Amid a dissolving partnership between UTB and TSC, students from both schools currently use the facility, but it is a UTB building.

Students in the College of Biomedical Sciences gathered on the lawn at the end of the ceremony in white lab coats and rang a bell to ceremoniously dedicate the building.

The students also presented Cigarroa with a white lab coat.