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By the beginning of 2005, the aquaculture faculty had begun replacing some research equipment and test subjects, such as a pure genetic strain of tilapia, while Sutton ordered new lake sturgeon and other fish.
The fire did not prevent faculty from recruiting new students, either. Holly Patrick came to Purdue in spring 2005 to work toward a master's in fisheries under Sutton. Although she was aware of the fire, Patrick believed the positive aspects of further education at Purdue would outweigh the negatives that the fire presented.
Feeling the heat
The temporary spaces certainly had drawbacks, however, and presented problems involving temperature control. In Cindas, which had been scheduled for demolition, Hart had to wait until September, 2005 to begin his research, because faulty air-conditioners prevented him from counteracting the summer heat.
In the Beef building, Patrick did not have enough amperage to power her water cooler, so she began building an insulated "room" around her eight large water tanks to contain cool air from the air-conditioners.
"It was tough, because I had never really built anything before," she says. It took her two weeks to finish the insulation, only to find out that the setup violated fire safety codes. "I suppose there's a bit of irony in that," she says. To bring it up to code, she and several other students spent a weekend installing a special type of insulation to reduce the fire risk.
Rebirth from the ashes
Meanwhile, back in Cindas, the other temporary research location, Hart, Brown and Sepulveda had managed to complete some valuable research despite the occasional hurdles. Hart finished his thesis experiment looking at soy-based fish food, which he defended in December.
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A fall 2004 fire at Purdue University's Aquaculture Research Lab destroyed the building and its contents, but the biggest losses were the fish and years of research. Faculty and students rebuilt the aquaculture research program and moved into their new facility in summer 2006. |
On the construction front, the new building began early in 2006 and was finished by May. Faculty and students moved in throughout the summer, and the facility is back on line.
The turnaround was nothing short of remarkable, as far as Swihart is concerned. "These folks lost just about everything. Nobody would have begrudged them if they had given up."
The biggest loss was time, Hart says. He estimates the fire put him back a year and a half. But, as Brown says, the funding agencies, the insurance company, the department and the university were very supportive throughout. Because insurance replaced old equipment with newer models, the lab now has better equipment.
"Though I would never wish the experience on anybody, we certainly have a better facility now," Swihart says. "I am proud of the aquaculture professors and students for their persistence and their drive to succeed despite the fire. I think they really illustrate the Purdue tradition of one brick higher."
Contact Douglas M. Main at dmain@purdue.edu
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