GALLOWAY, NJ—Officials with The Richard Stockton College held a groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday for its nearly $29-million project to expand its science and math facility.

Among the dignitaries at the event included Stockton President Herman Saatkamp and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. The expansion will nearly double the size of the college's Unified Science Center at The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey.

Gov. Christie noted that his administration had prioritized investing in higher education, and said a total of $1.2 billion from two bond acts approved by voters will be used for public colleges.

He said it was “very unfortunate that the state had waited 25 years to contribute” funding for higher education construction, but added, “The most important thing is we're actually doing things…to be able to give (students) a world-class education.”

Gov. Christie said there are “176 different projects happening at 46 colleges in New Jersey,” and that infusion of capital “will help stabilize tuition and fees.”

The 54,000-square-foot expansion project, referred to as the "Unified Science Center2" will be supported by $21.465 million in funding from the Building Our Future Bond Act approved by state voters in 2012. The bond act requires that the college pay 25% or $7.155 million of the total $28.62-million cost.

The three-story expansion on the college's main campus in Galloway Township, NJ, will include labs for teaching and research, a greenhouse, computer labs, faculty offices and a vivarium.

President Saatkamp said, “This new facility, which includes 54,000 square feet of 32 labs, seven classrooms, 40 faculty offices, a greenhouse and a vivarium, along with the 66,000-square-foot Unified Science Center, which includes 28 laboratories, eight classrooms and faculty offices, provides our students and faculty with a state-of-the-art facility.”

He adds that the project will better prepare students for careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and help meet the growing demand of industries in the state seeking highly educated and skilled graduates.