SU celebrates the life sciences with Day of Discovery, Life Sciences Complex site dedication

SU celebrates the life sciences with Day of Discovery, Life Sciences Complex site dedicationApril 19, 2006Carol K. Masiclatclkim@syr.edu

On April 26, The College of Arts and Sciences at Syracuse University will host “Day of Discovery: A Life Sciences Celebration and Site Dedication Ceremony.” The event celebrates the Life Sciences Complex, a new facility that will for the first time in SU history house biology, chemistry and biochemistry under one roof. The complex, which is scheduled for completion in 2008, is the University’s largest, most capitalized academic building project to date. Events planned for the day include a public symposium, site dedication ceremony and keynote address by award-winning actress Sigourney Weaver, with special guest “60 Minutes” correspondent Steve Kroft ’71.

“The Life Sciences Complex signals a new era of scientific exploration and teaching at Syracuse University,” says Syracuse University Chancellor and President Nancy E. Cantor. “Through interdisciplinary collaboration, students can learn, first-hand, the nature of research from faculty whose discoveries have the potential to change the world.”

“When completed, the Life Sciences Complex will offer students a new kind of educational environment in which the boundaries between biology and chemistry are erased,” adds Cathryn R. Newton, dean of The College of Arts and Sciences. “This building is indicative of where science education and research are headed.”

The first of three public events planned is the symposium, “Science Report Card: Can the U.S. Stay at the Head of the Class?” moderated by John Rennie, editor-in-chief of Scientific American. Panelists include: A. Lynn Bolles ’71, professor of women’s studies, anthropology, Afro-American studies and comparative literature at the University of Maryland; Peter J. Bruns ’64, vice president for grants and special programs at Howard Hughes Medical Institute; Donald Kennedy, editor-in-chief of Science magazine and president emeritus and Bing Professor of Environmental Science Emeritus at Stanford University; Elsa Reichmanis ’72, G’75, director of polymer and organic materials research at Bell Laboratories, Lucent Technologies; and Patrick White, director of federal relations for the Association of American Universities. The symposium will take place at 2:30 p.m. in Shemin Auditorium in the Shaffer Art Building.

At 4 p.m., members of the SU and Syracuse communities are invited to attend the site dedication and groundbreaking for the Life Sciences Complex, at the Center for Science and Technology (CST) on College Place. The event will take place rain or shine, and will be followed by a light reception.

At 8 p.m., The College of Arts and Sciences will host “A Conversation With Sigourney Weaver, Facilitated by Steve Kroft” in Hendricks Chapel. Weaver, a supporter of the American Heart Association’s “Go Red for Women” campaign, will be introduced by Kroft, a member of the SU Board of Trustees and editor and co-anchor of the CBS News magazine “60 Minutes.” (Read related story)

With 210,000 square feet of space and an estimated cost of $107 million, the Life Sciences Complex is the most ambitious construction project undertaken at the University. Ellenzweig Associates, a national leader in science teaching and research facilities, is designing the project. Construction will commence shortly after the site dedication. The new facility will be connected to the existing CST building. CST houses several other academic programs and is the current location of the chemistry department and its research laboratories.

The completed complex will bring the biology department and biochemistry program (currently based in Lyman Hall) into one research facility adjacent to the chemistry research space. The convergence of the three disciplines will promote collaborative work and encourage interdisciplinary research and education. The complex will house modern research laboratories for biology faculty, teaching laboratories for chemistry and biology students, and classrooms for the general University community. Research conducted in the complex will focus on its two research themes: cell signaling and biocomplexity.

The Day of Discovery events are free and open to the public. Paid parking is available in campus visitor lots and garages.

For more information on the Life Sciences Complex and Day of Discovery, contact Rob Enslin at rmenslin@syr.edu or 443-3403.

Related stories:

Class of ’51 couple thanks Syracuse University with $6 million for new Life Sciences ComplexRead the story

Actress Sigourney Weaver and TV commentator Steve Kroft to discuss life sciences at SU’s ‘Day of Discovery’ April 26Read the story