Christopher Haley finally has a place to cut his rocks.

The science professor at Virginia Wesleyan College jokes about it, but teaching his geology students how to prepare samples properly is an important part of education, he says.

It’s one of the reasons he is excited about the nearly 40,000 square foot Greer Environmental Sciences building opening on campus.

It’s about 60 percent complete and will be ready for use in time for the fall 2017 semester. It’s now closed to the elements, so any work done over the winter will be done inside.

The building is being paid for by an anonymous donor, and the cost also is not disclosed, but it will be the most significant building on campus since the Jane P. Batten Student Center, which was completed in 2002.

Along with a host of state-of-the art labs, study spaces and classrooms, the building itself will be a learning tool.

Read more (The Virginian-Pilot)