Indiana University Southeast opens new Medical Laboratory Science Lab

Indiana University Southeast officially opened its new Medical Laboratory Science Lab on November 2, 2026. The new lab will educate students in the university’s new Medical Laboratory Science bachelor degree program, and serves as a representation of the university’s regional workforce partnership with Baptist Health, Norton Healthcare, and UofL Health. 

According to an article on Indiana University Southeast’s website, Dr. Quinn Dauer, who serves as the interim dean of the College of Health, Nursing, and Sciences, was quoted as saying of the work that will be set in motion thanks to the new Medical Laboratory Science Lab, “This facility provides our students with access to state-of-the-art equipment and hands-on learning experiences that mirror the environments they will encounter after graduation.”

The idea for a new Medical Laboratory Science bachelor degree program was started in 2023 to build upon a longstanding partnership between Indiana University Southeast and Bellarmine University. That partnership allowed students who were interested in pursuing a Medical Laboratory Science the opportunity to begin their first two years of education at IU Southeast before transferring to Bellarmine University to finish out the degree. With support from Baptist Health, Norton Healthcare, and UofL Health, IU Southeast established its own bachelor degree program, reflecting the region’s need for workers in this industry.

The healthcare partners were instrumental in the establishment of IU Southeast’s new bachelor degree program. The partners contributed greatly, providing laboratory equipment, facility enhancements, faculty and operational support, and hands-on clinical experiences. 

Dr. Karen Golemboski, the MLS program director, said, “At every level, our healthcare partners are helping us continue to educate future laboratory professionals who are so critical to health care.”

At the opening of the new lab facility, MLS student Zachary Keith Giuffre made remarks about the importance of medical laboratory technology professionals. He said, “Our findings reach people at some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives. That responsibility makes the education we receive here deeply human. Behind every specimen is a person whose life may be about to change.”

State Rep. Wendy Dant Chesser said at the opening event, “Anything that can be done to help stabilize that system through workforce development, employment, and education and training is not only good for Southern Indiana, but also for students and anyone who needs healthcare anywhere in this region. I’m excited that IU Southeast has stepped forward and that our partners, as usual, stepped in to say how they could help. Because of that, we can better serve the needs of our community.”

Kim Blanding, the system director of talent acquisition and workforce development at Norton Healthcare, emphasized the benefits of the new program and its new facilities. She said, “Our lab professionals are a crucial part of our healthcare system, so it’s important for the community, from a healthcare perspective, that we have a good pipeline of highly educated lab professionals. It’s also great from an economic standpoint. It’s a great career pathway for individuals who live and work in this community.”

For more information about Indiana University Southeast, visit the school’s website.