CSU Health Sciences Simulation Lab Receives Critical Funding for Laboratory Equipment

CHICAGO (March 28, 2022) - Chicago State University (CSU) is pleased to announce the award of $450,000 from the FY22 Omnibus Appropriations Bill. This critical financial investment will be dedicated to the purchase of science laboratory equipment for the University’s Health Sciences Simulation Lab.

The new equipment will be part of CSU’s state-of-the-art Health Sciences Simulation Lab, which will train thousands of students for jobs in the medical profession. The College of Health Sciences and the College of Pharmacy at CSU are critical to sustaining a pipeline of underrepresented professionals by educating a caring and competent, and diverse student body. CSU graduates have 100 percent job placement in nursing and occupational therapy and the College of Pharmacy is first in the Midwest for graduating underrepresented students with doctoral degrees.

“The COVID-19 pandemic magnified alarming disparities in our healthcare system and exacerbated workforce shortages. Chicago State University has been leading the way in training students to address these challenges. That’s why I secured this new federal investment in CSU’s Health Simulation Lab to help train a diverse, highly-skilled workforce of medical professionals,” said U.S. Senator Dick Durbin.

“The Health Sciences Simulation Lab will provide top-level training to our students and supply the diverse leadership needed in the health profession,” said Zaldwaynaka (“Z”) Scott, Esq., President of Chicago State University. “Located in the heart of Chicago’s South Side, CSU is uniquely positioned to be the center of training for Health Sciences professionals that represent the patients they serve.” 

In 2019, Governor JB Pritzker released $2.5 million of funding toward the creation of CSU’s Health Sciences Simulation Lab. The funding was part of the administration’s Rebuild Illinois capital plan. This initial funding did not include the purchasing of laboratory equipment.

Chicago State University (CSU), founded in 1867, is the oldest public university in the Chicago Metropolitan area. The University’s five colleges offer over 70 undergraduate and graduate degree-granting and non-degree programs. CSU is committed to equity in education, serving as the only U.S. Department of Education-designated four-year Predominantly Black Institution in Illinois and ranked by a Harvard economist in the top 4% of public and private universities nationwide in supporting 

our graduates’ economic mobility. The University serves as a prominent civic space on the greater South Side of Chicago by hosting a multitude of athletic, educational, cultural, and recreational activities. The University is located near public transit that provides convenient access to the campus. Visit www.csu.edu.