For Immediate Release: 6/13/2012 8:11 am
Worcester, MA (June 12, 2012) - This afternoon, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences will formally unveil the College's new 10 Lincoln Square Academic and Student Center in Worcester. The centerpiece of the project is the recent completion of a $10 million, 54,000-square-foot, six-story building. In November, the College received preliminary approval from the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education (ACOE) to open the 21st school of optometry in the United States. The school, which will begin receiving students in August, is located in the new facility.
"With the 10 Lincoln Square Academic and Student Center and our new School of Optometry, we are continuing our commitment to bring exciting health care professions to downtown Worcester," said MCPHS President Charles F. Monahan Jr. "With its top-notch hospitals, health care centers and clinical placement sites, there is no doubt that Worcester is the place to launch your career in health care."
The College first purchased the site (the former Crowne Plaza Hotel) in June 2010 and has invested more than $40M in the property. Capital improvements include an on-site optometry clinic, state-of-the-art laboratories, technologically advanced class and examination rooms, faculty and staff offices, spacious auditoria and meeting and study spaces. The facility also currently houses 200 students. The College received permission from the Worcester Planning Board to move forward with the project in September 2011. The facility was designed by KSID, LLC Architecture.
"Once again, the MCPHS has shown its commitment to our city in a visible and tangible way through the renovation of this incredible academic and student center," said Worcester City Manager Michael V. O'Brien. "I want to extend my gratitude to the College, President Charlie Monahan and the Board for their continued investment in our downtown revitalization and transformation."
The MCPHS School of Optometry will offer a student-oriented, learner-centered program designed to provide a world-class education in a world-class facility leading to a Doctor of Optometry (OD) degree. The four-year program uses the latest in instructional technology to ensure that graduates obtain a state-of-the-art education necessary to diagnose and manage the wide variety of ocular and systemic conditions encountered in today's intense clinical settings. Specialties include ocular disease, pediatrics, cornea/contact lens, low vision/vision rehabilitation.
MCPHS-Worcester opened its doors in September 2000 with an entering class of 125 students in the Doctor of Pharmacy program. Today, in addition to Pharmacy and Optometry, the Worcester campus also offers programs in Nursing, Physical Therapy, and Physician Assistant Studies. The campus employs more than 250 faculty and staff, and currently enrolls more than 1,200 students from 44 different states and 11 countries. Another 300 students are enrolled through MCPHS Online (http://online.mcphs.edu), which has offices at 28 Mechanic St. in Worcester.
