The final beam for the University of Georgia School of Medicine’s medical education and research building was set into place on Nov. 25 — a milestone that marks the completion of the structural phase of the building. UGA broke ground on the building in May 2024.
The historic occasion was celebrated with a topping-out ceremony where UGA President Jere W. Morehead and School of Medicine Founding Dean Shelley Nuss inked their signatures on the final piece of the structure.
“Today’s celebration represents another important milestone for the University of Georgia’s School of Medicine,” Morehead said. “Our progress to this point would not be possible without the exceptional leadership of Dean Shelley Nuss and the tireless efforts of countless individuals, and I am excited to see the many ways this building will enhance UGA’s ability to pursue groundbreaking research and educate future generations of health care professionals.”
This event marked the second of two topping-out ceremonies. The first was held on Nov. 18 for School of Medicine faculty and staff to leave their mark by signing a beam.
“We would not be here today without our dedicated and committed faculty and staff,” Nuss said. “They have devoted countless hours of work to make the School of Medicine a reality and have provided extensive input into its design. It’s wonderful that their legacy will be part of the building itself.”
The 93,000-square-foot building, located on Foster Road on the Health Sciences Campus, will serve as the primary educational building for the School of Medicine. Included in the design are large, active-learning classroom spaces, an anatomy lab, a simulation center, a clinical skills center, individual and group study options, a student lounge and well-being spaces. Nearly one-third of the building’s space will be dedicated to biomedical research.
The next building phase will be to complete the exterior walls and finalize decisions on interior finishes, furniture and equipment. Completion of the building is scheduled for December 2026.
