New Science CenterWheaton has always recognized that the universe and everything in it is Christ’s handiwork. The College has honored the Creator by producing generations of leaders in science.
With 34 credentialed professors, ten major fields of study, and a gifted student body, Wheaton’s science program has enjoyed national recognition for decades: 25-40 graduates go on to medical school each year, and during the past 50 years, over 33% of Wheaton's graduates in natural sciences have completed doctorates.
The Academic Excellence Study, a national study of undergraduate science programs conducted in 2000, pointed to a number of significant trends in natural science education:
- an emphasis on discovery that includes original experimentation and investigation
- the endorsement of collaborative research between faculty and students
- the emergence of nanotechnology (the study and manipulation of matter at the molecular level using nuclear magnetic resonance, or NMR)
- the provision of funding for renovating and constructing facilities coming from educational institutions and private sources
- the provision of funding for equipment coming from the government along with institutions
In providing the environment required for a quality science education, Wheaton’s current facilities are losing ground. Space for laboratory instruction competes with space for research and instrumentation, so student researchers must set up and tear down their experiments for each session. Providing more space—and the appropriate types of space—is crucial to improving the quality of Wheaton's offerings in the sciences.
Because of the significance of these needs, this initiative seeks to construct a new science center for the College. The tremendous benefits offered by the planned facility include the following:
- 128,000 square feet of space (including more space for every discipline)
- A unique, interactive atrium museum featuring the Perry Mastodon, a geology exhibit, a natural history exhibit, and space for additional exhibits
- Eight teaching labs
- Research space for every faculty member
- A zoned design that sets faculty offices close to research and instrumentation areas, and research labs opening onto teaching labs
- Innovations that enable energy recovery and energy efficiency, such as a roof made of self-sustaining ground cover and special shades to control or reflect light
Funding for the science center includes $69 million for construction and $11 million for building endowment. This exciting project will create for Wheaton the kind of science center that defines science education today.
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