Southwestern Magazine | Fall 2019

A new school The new Garey School of Natural Sciences joined the Brown College of Arts and Sciences and the Sarofim School of Fine Arts as one of three named schools within the University. It officially united five academic departments: Biology, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Kinesiology, Mathematics and Computer Science, and Physics. “The synergy of having all of the natural science faculty under one roof allows for more natural and frequent interactions between our faculty and students,” Secord says. These interactions help students think beyond their coursework and make intentional connections within the natural sciences and between the natural sciences and other subjects. This is a key component of Paideia, Southwestern’s interdisciplinary approach to education, which empowers students to think in broader, more original ways. But this ability to make connections also prepares students for careers in the natural sciences. The science of the 21st century is both multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary, with professionals in dif ferent disci- plines collaborating to develop solutions to the world’s biggest problems. “Paideia is all about making connections, and modern science is all about making connections,” says Professor of Biology and Lillian Nelson Pratt Chair Ben Pierce. “It’s critical that our students are able to make those connections and work in a multidisciplinary environment.” The new school also fosters interdisciplinary connections between the natural sciences and the humanities, fine arts, and social sciences. These connections can help students discover new passions outside the natural sciences. For example, many students complete the premedical pathway in addition to majoring in nonscience fields such as art history, communication studies, or philosophy. Some will major in chemistry or kinesiology but minor in English or theater. Others will major in two or more fields, such as Assistant Professor of Computer Science Jacob Schrum ’06, who majored in computer science, mathematics, and German. “At Southwestern, students are encouraged to make important, meaningful connections between seemingly unrelated topics,” Schrum says. “These connections can make you think about things in a new way and appreciate them a bit more.” Aworld-class facility The Garey School is housed in the Fondren–Jones Science Center, which, thanks to a number of generous friends of the University, underwent a multimillion-dollar expansion and renovation over the past several years. The original building was constructed in 1952, and an addition was built in 1998. The most recent expansion consisted of two phases: phase 1, which broke ground in April 2014 and was completed in September 2016, added 25,000 square feet of space for teaching laboratories, student–faculty research space, and collaborative learning studios, while phase 2, which began in December 2017 and was completed as classes began in fall 2019, added seven new classrooms, five teaching laboratories, one conference room, two computer laboratories, seven research laboratories, and 42 new offices. “The Fondren–Jones Science Center as a whole feels like an integrated building now,” Erwin says. “Before, it felt like three very distinct buildings with disjointed hallways and unexpected elevation changes. Now, it’s a seamless, well-thought-out space.” Planning for the recent expansion began 10 years ago. “One of the first things we did was hold a workshop with faculty, administrators, students, and the archi- tects to talk about what science will look like in the future. We wanted to ensure the facility reflected the science of the 21st century,” says Pierce, who helped coordinate faculty input for the project. “We were already revising the curriculum and committing to inquiry- based learning, but we didn’t have the facilities to support that.” Faculty from the natural sciences were involved throughout the decade-long project. “We were included from the very beginning and every step of the way,” Pierce says. “We were even included during the construction process, so we could provide our input as things came up and decisions had to be made quickly.” The project team also created a number of task forces to focus on specific aspects of the facility, such as the laboratories, class- rooms, and student interaction spaces. These task forces included faculty, staff, and students from across the University. “We wanted to ensure we created spaces that would work for the whole campus community,” Pierce says. Professor of Chemistry Emily Niemeyer chaired the classroom task force. “We held discussions on what the classrooms should look like,” she says. “I felt strongly that we shouldn’t have desks, and we talked about how that would work.” Instead of rows of desks facing forward like in a traditional class- room, the new classrooms have circular tables and modular furni- ture that can be easily rearranged. They also feature integrated audiovisual equipment and touch screens that allow for increased participation and easy sharing of data. “We don’t have to do work- arounds anymore. The classrooms are designed to facilitate active learning,” Niemeyer says. 30 SOUTHWESTERN 7 new classrooms 5 teaching labs 1 conference room 2 computer labs 7 research labs 42 new offices Fondren – Jones Phase 2