Renovating the Science Building

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Renovating the Science Building
Renovating the Science Building a faculty
perspective
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Our Science Building is Multidisciplinary

• Specialized Facilities
• HIPERC
• Science Education Center
• Planetarium
• Small Animal Facilities
• Greenhouse
• Radioactive Materials Storage
• Volatile Chemical/ Gas Storage
• Potential additional occupants
• Mathematics Department
• would allow for more meaningful interactions with
  the sciences
• Animal Behavior labs from Psychology Department
• near small animal facilities that are shared
  with Biology
• Requires construction of additional space

• Departments currently in building
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Earth Sciences and Science Education
• Physics
• Other programs
• Great Lakes Center
• Environmental Toxicology Labs
• Physical Geography labs
• McNair Program
• Upward Bound program
• New York State Health Department

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The current state of our building- a brief tour
1960s wedding cake design
Lobby is dark and uninviting
Long, dark, univiting hallways
1960s style classrooms
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Teaching labs are in poor condition
Faculty offices are behind labs or other offices
Student Lounge
Student Lounge/Computer lab
30 years worth of wear and tear
Classroom redeployed as computer lab/club
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The renovated science building must provide
modern spaces that allow programs to offer a
pedagogically sound, modern learning experience
for the next 25-30 years

• Spaces must accommodate both traditional methods
  and new pedagogies for teaching math and science

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BSC Science Building needs modern
ventilation/hood systems to support teaching
science and doing research

• Modern chemistry instructional labs require one
  hood per student and clear lines of sight
• Molecular Biology and Anatomy labs need good
  ventilation
• Geology/geochemistry often requires ventilation

Current Ventilation System in BSC Anatomy Lab
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The Science Building requires air conditioning
and climate control

• Many programs run all summer
• Faculty Research programs
• Undergraduate summer research
• Upward Bound
• Physics Alternative Certification
• Professional development programs
• Scientific instrumentation and computers often
  will not function above 78-85ºF
• Some instrumentation dumps heat into the space
  compounding the problem
• Building is currently too hot to grow yeast
  (requires 80ºF )

BSC Research lab retrofitted for summer research
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Corridors in building should be comfortable and
inviting

• Spaces with light and seating encourage students
  to spend time in the building
• Students who have a sense of belonging are more
  likely to be retained

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Modern science buildings incorporate spaces that
bring people together and encourage
interdisciplinary activities

• An atrium brings people together
• Facilitates faculty-faculty, student-student, and
  faculty-student interactions
• Can serve as a forum for poster sessions, science
  and math open houses, etc.

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Open stairways, clear site lines, and
conversation nooks bring people together and
encourage interdisciplinary activities
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We need a building that gives Buffalo State
Sciences a public face

• A facade that reflects the excellence in teaching
  and scholarship within
• An atrium can make a big impact both inside and
  outside the building

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In contrast to what we currently have.
Lobby
Main Entrance
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Building elements should advertise who we are

• Building artwork can
• advertise our programs and research projects
• acknowledge our many community partnerships
• Great Lakes Consortium
• Zoo
• Science Museum
• Educational partnerships with the public schools
• Windows provide insight into how science is done

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Consider the advantages of a State-of-the-art
Planetarium

• would give Buffalo State Sciences a higher
  profile, public face
• would further strengthen our ties to the public
  schools

Dickenson Science Building Planetarium and
Observatory -separate entrance to serve public
access needs
15
FNSS Science Building Planning Committee
We invite you to visit the building and welcome
your comments

• Kim Bagley - Chemistry (Chair)
• Don Birdd-Science Education
• Lisa Brooks - Psychology
• Mike DeMarco - Physics
• Kim Irvine- Geography and Planning
• Harish Sikka - Great Lakes Laboratory
• Gary Solar - Earth Science
• Greg Wadsworth- Biology
• David Wilson - Mathematics

To arrange a visit call 878-5933