Wolfson Campus Getting Refurbished Science Labs This Fall
In the last decade, the 2000 building at Wolfson Campus has undergone a renaissance.
Six years ago, the building launched the Cybersecurity Center of the Americas, a national center that offers cybersecurity education and training.
Two years later, it introduced the Business, Innovation & Technology Center, a hub dedicated to helping students understand the connection between business and technologies like cryptocurrency.
In 2023, the edifice welcomed the $14 million Artificial Intelligence Center, and last summer, the Student Life Department, which has been located in Room 2101 for more than 27 years, started renovations.
The revitalization continues this fall when the third floor of the 2000 building debuts three remodeled science laboratories.
Renovations are part of a two-phase project that, when completed, will refurbish six science labs, said Ana DeMahy, senior director of campus administration at Wolfson Campus.
Phase one includes two labs that will be used to teach upper level courses, such as organic chemistry and general biology II, and one lab that will serve as a flexible learning space for lower level courses, like introduction to chemistry and biology.
“These renovations are important to provide an enhanced learning experience for our students…[they will be] using updated technology that resembles the [kind] they will encounter in their future professional endeavors,” said Frances Gratacos Dessus, chair of the natural sciences, health and wellness department at Wolfson Campus.
Planning for the renovations began in August of 2021 after faculty requested new chemical fume hoods—ventilated enclosures that protect students from inhaling hazardous vapors while performing experiments.
Campus administration used the request as inspiration to modernize the space completely.
Among the new furniture and equipment: chemical fume hoods, biosafety cabinets, biomedical refrigerators and workbenches for students with disabilities. Each room can accommodate approximately 20-24 students.
Both labs also feature preparation rooms with glassware washers, drying ovens, water distillers, fridges and eyewash stations.
At the end of September, the chemistry lab will host its first course—organic chemistry I laboratory.
The second phase of renovations, which will begin in the spring, will include changes to the chemistry, biology, and anatomy and physiology labs located toward the end of the third floor.
“Students will start a new year with new areas to learn and follow their dreams,” said Alfonso Cordero Pineda, the chemistry lab manager. “I think the [labs] will give them a base to go where they want to go in life.”
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