The Lee Medicine Building on the Vermillion campus is where students in Pillar 1 spend the first 18 months of medical school learning the basic sciences and system blocks.

As one of the cornerstones of not only the University of South Dakota campus, but also of the regional health care industry, it is a critical component of enhancing research and improving health sciences and medical education in the state. State-of-the-art technology is deployed throughout the 156,000 square-foot building.

Funding for the $37 million project included $12.5 million from the Higher Education Facilities Fund, $12.5 million from Campaign South Dakota, $10.2 million from the federal government and $1.8 million from the state of South Dakota. Lead private gifts came from Avera Health, Monument Health and Sanford Health.