The renovation of Celeste Laboratory is moving forward following approval by The Ohio State University Board of Trustees in February.

The remodel will renovate chemistry laboratories and support spaces, provide upgrades to the building’s mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems, and improve the exterior. Renovations begin in May 2020 and are slated to finish August 2022.

“The renovation will have a tremendous impact on the education of undergraduates across Ohio State, impacting majors in the College of Arts and Sciences and in engineering, including students who plan to go into medicine and related health fields,” said Claudia Turro, chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. “These important renovations will increase the capacity of students who can take chemistry laboratory courses, modernizing the facilities and making them safer for the students and instructional staff.”  

The board approved a $200,000 increase in professional services contracts and $27 million in construction contracts for Celeste Laboratory, bringing the project’s total budget to $31.1 million, which will be paid with fundraising and university and state funds.

Since Celeste Lab’s construction in 1986, it has been one of the most widely used facilities on campus, facilitating instruction and research for more than 10,000 students per year. The upgrades, the department says, will have a significant impact on students across disciplines, allowing them to collaborate on innovative and groundbreaking research in an improved space.

“I'm thrilled to envision our amazing undergrads utilizing the state-of-the-art chemistry lab they deserve,” said biochemistry alumnus Ray Wheasler ’79, a pediatrician in Hilliard who donated $50,000 toward the renovations. “The support I give is going to help so many people. Not just our students and our faculty, but through the research we do here and the learning that goes on here, help the whole world.”