Missouri State’s College of Applied and Natural Sciences is constructing a new greenhouse for enhanced student learning and more in-depth research. The greenhouse is being built behind Temple Hall, taking the place of the previous single-room facility.
According to biology professor Laszlo Kovacs, the entire project for the new greenhouse costs approximately $500,000.
“For this particular project, (the budget) came from the Provost Office and it came from the college and it came from the biology department,” said Tammy Jahnke, dean of the College of Applied and Natural Sciences. “We kinda just all pooled money together to make this happen.”
Kovacs said the new facility will be three times larger than the old greenhouse, featuring three separate environmentally-controlled sections. Faculty and students conducting research will be able to regulate specific conditions within each section, such as light, temperature and humidity.
The greenhouse will also feature its own irrigation system, so plants can be automatically watered throughout the day and night. These upgrades give faculty and students the opportunity to work with new and different types of plants they did not have access to before.