The fall semester marked the start of Fairfield University’s new Science Center. Located on the main level of the DiMenna-Nyselius Library, the center is open to all students as a place for academic enrichment and learning.
The establishment of the new Science Center was made possible by a generous donation from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Founded in 1953, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute strives to fund research that will lead to better health, improved quality of life and a more sustainable future. The Institute works toward its mission through core values of excellence, collaboration, innovation, integrity, inclusion and the development of others.
The grant was given as a part of the Institute’s Inclusive Excellence Initiative, which aims to increase the capacity for inclusive learning for students in STEM classes.
In a welcoming and warm environment, the Science Center provides collaborative study and peer tutoring for a wide range of science courses at Fairfield. The center also serves as a place for students to connect and discuss their coursework with peers. Tutoring is provided in a wide range of courses, including Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Anatomy, Physiology and Behavioral Sciences.
In a press release by FairfieldNews, Mark Ligas, Ph.D., vice provost for undergraduate excellence stated, “the Science Center joins the Math and Writing Centers as tangible expressions of Fairfield University’s unwavering commitment to bolstering academic resources for student success.”
“These initiatives are driven by a faculty that highly values and appreciates the importance of fostering student learning beyond the confines of traditional classrooms and laboratories,” expressed Ligas, an associate professor of marketing in the Dolan School of Business.
The successful grant application, according to FairfieldU News, was made possible by the work of four faculty members: Shelley Phelan, Ph.D., Angela Biselli, Ph.D., Laura McSweeney, Ph.D. and Jillian Smith-Carpenter, Ph.D.
Leave a Reply