The chair of the biology department at Berea College sees significant academic and infrastructure benefits to a future new home for sciences. The final beam of the new building will be put in place at a ceremony scheduled this afternoon on the southern Madison County campus.
The $72 million dollar Margaret A Cargill Natural Sciences and Health Building will house biology, chemistry, and physics departments along with mathematics and nursing. Berea College Biology Chair Megan Hoffman says an outreach center will feature changing science displays, attractive to high school visitors. “We’re hoping that that will also help encourage more of our graduates look at high school teaching and science teaching in general,” said Hoffman. “It’s a really important area.”
Hoffman says there will also be more space for independent research projects. The 125,000 square foot Natural Sciences and Health Building is scheduled to open in time for the fall semester 2018.