University Business - August 2007 - (Page 38)

FA C I L I T I E S FOCUS Undergraduate Research Grows Up Science facility upgrades are the rage on campuses—especially as other institutions score big with their new buildings. By Julie Sturgeon S CIENCE PROFESSORS BEGAN shifting their classroom curricula in the early 1990s. Turns out, studies showed that they could attract more students to their disciplines if the kids were allowed to get their hands on the good stuff. Participating in research as early as freshman year—and we’re talking not talking about dissecting a frog—fosters a contagious excitement. Ricky Cox, a biomedical chemist at Murray State University (Ky.), invites his undergraduates to help him in the lab, and as a result, one girl recently graduated with five publication credits to her name. Who couldn’t use a slice of prestige just like that? But, of course, it takes the right space to make that happen. Michigan Technology University had its graduate students make room for its undergraduates in the same building. With 177,000 square feet of academic research space and 390,000 square feet of instructional space, professors aren’t complaining about sharing, says David Reed, vice president for research. More commonly, higher ed institutions are opting to upgrade existing space or start over with a new building, architects in this niche say. Aesthetics count. “We’re trying to be inspirational as much as instructional,” explains Larry Lord, principal for science facilities at Lord AECK Sergeant architectural firm in Atlanta, Georgia. So although the labs themselves must answer to heavy-duty research standards and special codes, the overall building is a different story. Architects are reaching for atriums and open spaces that not only lighten the mood but invite students to witness the hum of excitement inside. “We’re creating a community of science learning as opposed to sticking students on a bench,” Lord says. Dominican University CASE STUDY DOMINICAN UNIVERSITY CALIF. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CENTER MOTIVATION: Hired Sibdas Ghosh away from the University of Wisconsin in 2001 to start an undergraduate research program. He began with 30 biology students; today he has more than 130. TIMELINE: Completion expected this month COST: $21 million ARCHITECT: TWM Architects and Planners in San Rafael, Calif. UNDER THE MICROSCOPE: When Ghosh, a biology professor and the chair of the natural sciences and mathematics department, introduced the new research program at DU in 2001, he didn’t just open the doors to upperclassmen. Freshmen and sophomores are working alongside their professors on locally significant research such as the whys behind the breast cancer rates in Marin County, finding causes for sudden oak death and making stem cell advances. The 35,000-square-foot science center will offer seven teaching laboratories and six research labs. To date, Ghosh has enjoyed a 100 percent placement rate among students seeking spots in medical schools around the country, including UCLA, Loyola University, Chicago, and the University of Michigan. “Nationally competitive students don’t always have to be coming from Harvard,” Ghosh says. SHOESTRING STRATEGIES FOR FACILITY UPGRADES HE MONEY WILL COME IF STUDENTS learn,” says Dominican University’s Sibdas Ghosh. Yes, upgrading facilities means attracting a higher caliber faculty and producing the results that land prestigious grants. But while you get the ball rolling, take another page from Ghosh. His school is providing the basic space, but the professors are asked to stock their labs via grant money. Maggie Louie recently received a $150,000 three-year grant to study breast cancer. She’ll use those funds to buy the necessary equipment and chemicals. T 38 | August 2007 universitybusiness.com http://universitybusiness.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of University Business - August 2007

Contents
College Index
Company Index
Advisory Board
Editor's Note
People Watch
Sense of Place
Viewpoint
Admissions
On the Hill
Future Shock
Independent Outlook
Facility Focus
Wanted: Foreign Students
Service With a Star
Beneficial Benefits
Addition By Subtraction
Report from EduComm 2007
Report Card
Internet Technology
What's New
Calendar of Events
Direct Connect
End Note

University Business - August 2007