GBC to Celebrate Grand Opening of New Winnemucca Building

Great Basin College will hold its Grand Opening Ceremony to celebrate the new William N. Pennington Health Science and Technology Building on the Winnemucca Center campus June 10.

The dedication will feature speakers and a ribbon-cutting with the Humboldt County Chamber of Commerce. While this event is not open to the general public, all are welcome to attend an Open House from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. that same day.

The 13,000-square-foot building, a collaborative effort between GBC and the University of Nevada, Reno, will house the center’s nursing and electrical programs.

A donation of $8 million from the William N. Pennington Foundation, $1 million from Humboldt General Hospital, $100,000 from the GBC Student Government Association as well as significant contributions from Nevada Gold Mines, the NV Energy Foundation, the Robert Z. Hawkins Foundation and many individuals enabled this new state-of-the-art addition to the Winnemucca campus.

“So many people came together to make this project possible and we are grateful to be able to offer an enhanced learning environment to our students,” said GBC President Joyce Helens. “It really is all about the students and giving them the greatest tools we have to achieve their own success.”

Individuals representing higher education from around the state will come together for this memorable event, signifying GBC’s commitment to students in Winnemucca and surrounding areas.

Attendees at this event will be treated to music and storytelling by award-winning Western singer Juni Fisher and Nevada’s own National Cowboy Poet Waddie Mitchell, both of whom will take the stage starting at 3:30 p.m.

In addition, attendees will have the opportunity to view the inside and outside of this unique modern structure, designed by VanWoertBigotti Architects and built by CORE Construction.

Plans for the building began back in 2017. While ground preparation got underway in March of 2021, the bulk of the construction was kicked off with a groundbreaking ceremony in June of 2021.

The building, which will be open for the fall of 2022 semester, contains office space, a large conference room and individual classrooms which include areas for computer-based testing, nursing lectures, a nursing lab, nursing simulation and a CNA/EMS lab. There is also a 1,623-square-foot shop to house GBC’s Electrical Systems Technology program.

Great Basin College, “The Gold Standard in the Silver State,” offers certificates, associate and bachelor’s degrees in academic, career and technical education areas. GBC serves students enrolled online from across the country and on campuses and centers across 86,500 square miles, two time zones and 10 of Nevada’s largest counties. Branch campuses also serve the communities of Battle Mountain, Ely, Pahrump and Winnemucca. Satellite centers are also located across rural Nevada. The college borders Arizona, Oregon, Idaho, Utah and California. To learn more about GBC’s programs and opportunities to further your education please visit: https://www.gbcnv.edu.

For More Information Contact

Great Basin College
1500 College Parkway
Elko, Nevada 89801

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Why Great Basin College

Great Basin College, "The Gold Standard in the Silver State", offers associate and baccalaureate level education in academic, career and technical fields. Welcoming over 4,000 students annually from all corners of the country, both online and at our various campuses and centers, GBC's presence extends across two time zones and spans more than 86,000 square miles throughout Nevada. A leader in rural higher education, GBC takes pride in developing students who are well-prepared to meet the demands of industry and who contribute to the success and prosperity of the local economy.