(FORT WAYNE) – A special event took place on Friday.

Trine University formally dedicated the new Dr. Earl D. and Melanie N. Brooks College of Health Professions in Fort Wayne.

Developed in close partnership with Parkview Health, the Brooks College of Health Professions opened for classes in August.

The University's Board of Trustees voted in May 2023 to name the facility and the academic department it houses in honor of Trine University President Dr. Earl D. Brooks II, and his wife Melanie, in recognition of their transformational leadership, commitment to excellence and impact.

Brooks says the College of Health Professions is the most ambitious single building project in the history of Trine University. He says it’s been very exciting to see this facility take shape, and they are even more excited to share it with the students and the Greater Fort Wayne community.

Featuring 110,000 square feet of space, the Brooks College of Health Professions is by far the largest building project in Trine University's history. It offers state-of-the-art classrooms and laboratories and features, in partnership with the Parkview Mirro Center, an innovative Simulated Patient Care Center (SimCenter) including mock surgery and Emergency Room suites and exam and patient rooms.

Parkview will use the SimCenter and other facilities in the Brooks College of Health Professions for training its staff.

The building also contains ample resources for student support, including a library, gathering area, academic support and counseling services. The new $42.5 million facility, which eventually will employ 100 faculty and staff and serve nearly 700 students, is home to Trine's programs in physical therapy, physician assistant studies, occupational therapy and surgical technology. Additional degree programs are planned.