To all faculty who use the east wing (1st and 2nd floor) of the Birck Nanotechnology Center: We had a very disappointing turnout at the meeting this morning to discuss the upcoming shutdowns of the east wing of the BNC. This project is underway, and it is important that you are both informed and prepared regarding the impact the construction project will have on these laboratories. One shutdown will also affect some office areas. Note that the first shutdown that will impact the laboratories is just over a month away - November 12! I have attached the presentation slides and the shutdown summary spreadsheet to this e-mail. In addition, I have posted the shutdown tentative schedule on each of the laboratory doors in the east wing. The presentation lays out what actions are needed and when those actions need to be completed. The most urgent action is the generation of a priority list of hoods that will need to be shut down prior to the beginning of construction. Lisa Reece is coordinating that activity, and will be in touch with key faculty in that wing. Please let your needs be known to her so they can be incorporated in the plan. In most facilities on campus, a notice would go out that the particular wing of the building will be shut down for a set number of months and researchers would need to develop alternative plans. In the BNC we are NOT doing that - we are working with faculty to develop a plan that minimizes research downtime and accommodates your needs. To accomplish this, however, we need input from you. If you would like me to schedule another meeting to discuss the project, please drop me an e-mail to that effect. If you would rather talk to me individually, that is fine too - I'm here to minimize the impact of this project on your research. Please understand that a construction project is something like a freight train rolling down the tracks. Once the schedule is set and the momentum is gained, it's not something that can be stopped in any reasonable time. If changes are needed to the tentative schedule, they must be incorporated now - there may not be an opportunity to change things closer to the actual shutdown dates. Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding during this very complicated project. John John R. Weaver Facility Manager Birck Nanotechnology Center Purdue University (765) 494-5494 jrweaver@purdue.edu