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Media Credit: Ashley Roberts Freshmen lab partners Lauren Franko and Colin Kanach conduct an experiment with bacteria in their Biology Lab in the Hall of Sciences [Click to enlarge]

Scientific advancements take place every day, all over the world. At Drew University, we?re finally starting to play catch-up in the Hall of Sciences.

Drew University?s science department formed a committee of nine prominent faculty members to will evaluate recommendations for the program set forth in October by a visiting panel of scientists.

The Science Planning Committee meets weekly in order to prepare a progressive plan for the science programs at Drew. They will present this plan to the Board of Trustees in May.

At the request of President Bob Weisbuch, a group of eight scientists came to Drew last October to analyze the science programs, facilities and faculty. After spending three days on campus and reviewing documents prepared by the faculty, the committee prepared a report and presented it to the president and staff.

The report expressed the need for new facilities, additional faculty, program growth and ?a new vision for the sciences.?

Professor of physics Bob Fenstermacher, chair of the Science Planning Committee, whole-heartedly agreed with the recommendations that the visiting scientists made. He especially shows concern for the lack of space in the Hall of Sciences.

?We?re filled to the brim here and we need more space,? he said.

?We simply need more space,? Professor of biology Sara Webb said. Not only is the current building crowded, the structure itself was built in the 1960s. The science labs have experienced a number of problems with leaking ceilings, contamination in experiments and non-sterile water.

With a new, more spacious facility, and more space, ?[We can] support faculty and student re-search,? Webb said.

A new building would not only allow more space for student-facultyresearch, but it would also encourage thegrowth of interdisciplinary studies such as neuroscience, biochemistry and environmental studies. Webb explained that her main concern is enhancing the experience and opportunity to learn in better facilities while supporting growth in the non-conventional disciplines.

?Care must be given to ensure think that students, especially here at Drew, would benefit from a more focused curriculum,? junior biology major Dena Tomassi said.

Vice president and Dean of the College Paolo Cucchi agrees with Tomassi. He hopes that new facilities and more classes, like Fenstermacher?s physics course ?How Things Work,? would draw students from other departments. By expanding the possibilities and choices, Cucchi also believes that the general education requirements of the sciences will help round out the curriculum and close the gaps between fields of study.

Aside from the suggestions of the visiting committee, the faculty members have concerns about summer programs. The Drew Summer Science Institute, which funds approximately seven to eight students to live on campus during the summer to conduct research with faculty members, has been under-funded for years. Fenstermacher said that he wishes to expand this program and invite more outside researchers to utilize the Drew facility and its students.

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