Defining Excellence in the College of Arts and Sciences

Technology: Science Building

Ground was broken on the new Science Building Complex in December 2009. This new $54 million facility will connect with the University's current Science Building, which will also be renovated following the new building's construction. This long-awaited project has been in the making for more than a decade, and will allow for new space and equipment for the College's natural science programs of Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Environmental Sciences, Mathematics and Statistics and Physics. The new and renovated buildings will provide an environment for better learning, but only through private support can we provide state-of-the-art equipment and technology to fully prepare these science, engineering and pre-professional health program students to meet the challenges of tomorrow.

You can read an in-depth article about the new Science Complex in the College of Arts and Sciences' 2010 Dean's Report, available at this link: http://www.siue.edu/artsandsciences/science-building-update.shtml. A video of the groundbreaking ceremony can also be viewed at this site. Current construction of the building can be watched from a live web-cam, available at this link: http://www.siue.edu/artsandsciences/SciCam.html.

Quality, up-to-date instrumentation is an essential part of the new science building. Today's science students need access to the latest technologies, computer programs and instrumentation, which are the same type of equipment they will find in the research labs of future employers. The scientific equipment purchased today through donor support will have an immediate, positive effect on the teaching and learning environment. Equipment purchased now will be utilized immediately by students and faculty for teaching and research and relocated to the renovated, expanded science building upon completion. Some necessary equipment includes:

• DNA sequencers
• Instrumentation to detect chemicals in the environment and tissue
• Nuclear magnetic resonance equipment
• Inverted microscopes
• Dissecting scopes and balances
• Ultra-pure water system

Room Named Giving Opportunities

Named giving opportunities are available for many of the new science classrooms and research laboratories, along with corresponding equipment needs. Named gifts can be made in a donor's name or can be named in honor of a family member, friend, esteemed faculty member, or organization or corporation. A partial listing of naming opportunities can be found below; for the most current list, please contact Marilyn Marsho, director of development for the College of Arts and Sciences, at mmarsho@siue.edu or 618-650-5048. Naming opportunities for labs, classrooms and other spaces begin at $250,000.