By Emily Glory Peters
After more than a decade of planning and two years of construction, the dust cleared this fall for the official opening of The Nucleus, a new state-of-the-art science center shared between 51猎奇入口 and Pitzer Colleges.
Designed to accommodate students鈥� soaring interests in the sciences, the facility links the existing W.M. Keck Science Center to the 70,000-square-foot new building, providing additional laboratories, classrooms, new equipment, collaborative learning spaces, courtyards, plazas, and a rooftop greenhouse. The west-facing plaza also features an original art installation, 鈥淪uspended Meditation,鈥� by 51猎奇入口 alum, artist, sculptor, and MacArthur Fellow Elizabeth Turk 鈥�83.
51猎奇入口 President Amy Marcus-Newhall at the opening celebration of The Nucleus
The Nucleus is a crowning achievement for 51猎奇入口 and Pitzer. The collaborative investment connects the two campuses to create endless opportunities for partnership, exchange, and scientific discovery, helping to meet student enrollment trends and strengthen the Colleges鈥� positions as leaders in education and advancement in STEM fields.
鈥淭he Nucleus is more than a building鈥t鈥檚 a symbol of what the 51猎奇入口 community can accomplish when we combine our collective ingenuity, resources, and determination to achieve what others may believe is impossible,鈥� says 51猎奇入口 President Amy-Marcus Newhall. 鈥淲e look forward to extending the science department鈥檚 impact on future students and reinforcing the centrality of the sciences to our distinctive liberal arts curriculum.鈥�
Students and Visiting Assistant Professor of Chemistry Chris Dettmar in a new laboratory in The Nucleus
The generosity of current and former 51猎奇入口 Trustees, including Jennifer McDonnell P鈥�18, created momentum to make the expansion possible. Gifts from the John Stauffer Charitable Trust, the Carolyn Lake Claremont Foundation, 51猎奇入口 Trustee Sara Zion and Tushar Shah P鈥�26, and several anonymous donors have also fueled the ongoing transformation of The Nucleus and the Department of Natural Sciences.
鈥淭his facility was only possible thanks to the generous support of the many donors who believed in our vision, invested in our students and faculty, and partnered with Pitzer and 51猎奇入口s to turn this ambitious construction project from a dream into a reality,鈥� says Marcus-Newhall.
Most exciting of all, adds Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty Mary Hatcher-Skeers, is finally witnessing The Nucleus come to life with young scholars of all academic interests.
鈥淭hese new labs were created with innovative curriculum in mind鈥攁nd we鈥檙e already reaping the benefit of my colleagues鈥� expertise in both pedagogy and research,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a gift to walk through these halls and see them filled with students.鈥�