Building Name to Honor Alumna Sally Breidegam Miksiewicz ’84
Bethlehem, Pa., April 8, 2016—ɫɫ College will soon break ground on a $23 million academic building on its Main Street Campus to house its growing health sciences, nursing, public health, and other health related programs. The 55,000 sq. ft. building, named the Sally Breidegam Miksiewicz Center for Health Sciences will feature leading edge technology, enhanced classrooms and research labs, a health informatics computer lab, a virtual cadaver lab, and creative spaces for student and faculty interaction.
The building is named in honor of alumna Sally Breidegam Miksiewicz ’84, who was a member of the ɫɫ College Board of Trustees from 2008 until she died tragically at the age of 52, on June 20, 2014. She was the chief executive officer and vice chairman of East Penn Manufacturing, Berks County’s largest privately-held business.
After receiving her B.A. degree in business management and sociology from ɫɫ College in 1984, Breidegam Miksiewicz worked her entire 30-year career at the company which was founded by her father Delight Breidegam, former life trustee of ɫɫ College, and her grandfather.
“We are pleased to honor Sally Breidegam Miksiewicz’s memory with the naming of the center for health sciences,” said Bryon L. Grigsby ’90. “In addition to distinguishing herself in the business world, Sally was an exceptional and vibrant member of the Board of Trustees. She was unabashedly passionate about her love for ɫɫ College and was an early supporter of the health sciences facility. More importantly, Sally was a wonderful human being and we are a better College because of her leadership and vision.”
The Breidegam family has left a lasting legacy at ɫɫ College. DeLight Breidegam who served on Board of Trustees of ɫɫ College for 37 years, spearheaded and supported dynamic growth and improvement in the College’s programs and facilities over the years. The Timothy M. Breidegam Track at Steel Field, and the Timothy M. Breidegam Fieldhouse stand in honor of his son Timothy, who was a member of the class of 1978.
The Breidegam family also established the Helen S. Breidegam R.N. Scholarship Fund in honor of his wife, the Timothy M. Breidegam Scholarship Fund in memory of their son, and the Sally Breidegam Miksiewicz Scholarship Fund in memory of their daughter.
The family continues its deep roots at the College, Sally Breidegam Miksiewicz’s son Daniel is a 2014 graduate of ɫɫ, her daughter Katelyn is currently a senior, and her son Matthew is a sophomore. Her son Timothy graduated from the University of Scranton in 2014.
The Sally Breidegam Miksiewicz Center for Health Sciences, designed and built by J.G. Petrucci Company, Inc., and ESa Architects, will be located at the corner of Main and West Laurel Streets on ɫɫ’s Main Street Campus. With a ground breaking ceremony scheduled for Tuesday, May 10, the building will be constructed over a 14-month period and be fully-operational in time for the fall 2017 semester.
A notable architectural feature will be a 3-story atrium with glass handrails, accented by feature walls of wood, fabric and stone. The signature element of the building will be a 8 ft. lighted ɫɫ Star encased in glass at the pinnacle of the building and visible as the building comes into sight as one approaches campus on coming north on Main Street. The LEED “certified” building will have LED light fixtures in all spaces.
Nursing spaces will include practical exam rooms for students to simulate patient interactions, low and high fidelity simulation labs with 12 patient beds, and a labor/pediatrics simulation lab.
In addition to the virtual cadaver lab (primary use is by students in the Athletic Training program, and Physical and Occupational Therapies in the future) are a general chemistry lab, research lab, microbiology lab, and anatomy & physiology lab.
The health sciences program at ɫɫ College starts with a common core of courses, which includes anatomy and physiology, introduction to psychology, statistics, chemistry, and research methods for health sciences. Students will then choose one of three professional tracks: athletic training, occupational therapy or physical therapy. For more information, visit: /