By Clint Thompson
Tuesday was a celebration for Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) and its School of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
ABAC faculty, staff and students celebrated the ribbon cutting for the reopening of the Chambliss Building. Andrew Thoron, ABAC Dean for School of Agriculture and Natural Resources, spoke during the ceremony and highlighted the importance of the building’s grand reopening.
“Today is a great occasion, mainly for, we have two programs that are really housed in this building; one for Agricultural Machinery and Technology and then also our Ag Education and Ag Communication Department will be housed in this building,” Thoron said.
“It’s super important for them since they have now a building to call home. We have an office suite and also a fully renovated and modern teaching laboratory facility. It’s super important because it’s the No. 1 program as far as student size and undergraduates in the nation.
“Sticking on the ag education side of things, we have students that are going to be using virtual reality technology. It’s got the latest technology within classroom so they can lead and innovate within a high school and middle school FFA and agriculture programs within the state when they get out there to teach. We also have a welding lab facility, ag machinery and then house a number of our tractor pulling and truck pulling items within this building which students use technology to see what we can get as far as horsepower.”
Remaining Up-To-Date
Having a modernized, up-to-date learning environment is especially important in ABAC remaining a reliable destination for perspective students.
“Perception is reality, and faculty hear me say that all the time. Having modern facilities, welcoming facilities, places that students have space that they can call their own is vitally important,” Thoron said. “I think also staying up with modern times in the technology sector, that’s vitally important to having job-ready students as well as partnering with industry and workforce to keep those students ready for day one.”