Dedication for Expanded Science Hall to be October 14

October 11, 2016 (Notre Dame, Ind.) — Saint Mary’s College is proud to announce the completion of the Science Hall expansion and renovation. The building houses the Departments of Chemistry and Physics and Biology and supports the Dual Degree in Engineering Program, the Sophia Program, and the Department of Nursing Science. A celebration and dedication of the space is planned for Friday, October 14 at 3 p.m. The media is invited to attend.

Science Hall Expansion

The project is thanks to the largest private gift in Saint Mary’s history. In 2011, the College announced that Jennifer Mathile Prikkel ’95, then a member of the Board of Trustees, and her parents MaryAnn and Clayton Mathile committed $10 million dollars to transform Science Hall into a state-of-the-art facility. The result is a center of science learning that features collaborative environments and the most up-to-date technology. 

“Saint Mary’s College has provided science studies for women since the time of the Civil War,” said President Jan Cervelli. “This tradition takes a great leap forward thanks to the Mathiles and Prikkels, whose vision and generosity assure that our students and faculty will work in the best laboratories and classrooms. The space, technology, and equipment in the expanded and renovated Science Hall will be a catalyst for education and discovery.”

Clayton Mathile added, “I think Mary, Jen, and I made a wise investment. Our family believes that education is the greatest social and economic equalizer. That’s why we encourage others to support the research and advancements in science going on here, because the impact of helping women scientists to create a better world, ensures a brighter future for all of us.” 

Notable changes to the building include study and lab areas that encourage collaboration between students, faculty, and disciplines. Physics now has a dedicated floor, occupying a newly finished area on the lower level on the building’s north side. Meanwhile, the wall on the building’s south side was extended several feet out to the sidewalk, creating much larger laboratories and classrooms on the first floor (chemistry) and second floor (biology). The new greenhouse, another component of the project, was completed in the summer of 2014.

“The transformation of Science Hall is amazing and well-deserved,” said Jennifer Mathile Prikkel ’95. “When my parents and I toured the facility in 2011, we began to imagine a future that Saint Mary’s was destined to create. A future where innovative and creative solutions are discovered by faith-filled and compassionate women who are also world renowned scientists.”

The generosity that the Prikkel and Mathile families have shown toward Saint Mary’s College over the years has had a tremendous effect on student learning. The families participated in the campaign to construct Spes Unica Hall, the academic building dedicated in 2008. In addition, the Jen and Pat Prikkel Fund at the Mathile Family Foundation sponsored innovative faculty-student chemistry research that led to Saint Mary’s receiving its first patent this year.

Science faculty members are thrilled with the renovated facility.

“The interface between the science disciplines is where the most exciting discoveries are made, and our new spaces make this inter-disciplinary science easier in both our teaching and research,” said Christopher Dunlap, associate professor and chair of the Department of Chemistry and Physics.

Collaborative research is already taking place, noted Don Paetkau, associate professor and chair of the Department of Biology. “The changes to Science Hall make it possible for our faculty and students to work as a research community with the tools they need to address real world questions together. We are investigating emerging diseases, cancer, the nature of genomes and the consequences of climate change. Our research includes a quest to better understand echolocation in bats, which could lead to improvements in technology we all use every day. And we are experimenting with paper analytical devices (PADs) to detect pharmaceutical and water quality. We look forward to the discoveries that will be made in our new labs.”

Key components of the renovation and expansion include:

Lower level:

  • Two physics labs
  • Experimental research lab
  • Classroom
  • Three faculty offices
  • Lab prep room
  • Group study areas and gathering areas

1st floor:

  • Non-majors chemistry teaching lab
  • Collaborative teaching laboratory
  • Instrument center
  • Two classrooms
  • Lab support prep room
  • Group study areas and gathering areas

2nd floor:

  • Computer teaching lab
  • Collaborative research lab
  • Biosafety II microbial research lab
  • Tissue culture research lab
  • Environmental teaching lab
  • Classroom
  • Lab support room
  • Group study areas and gathering areas

About Saint Mary's College: Celebrating over 175 years of empowering women to make a difference in the world, Saint Mary’s College is recognized as a pioneer and continued force in the education of women. A Catholic, liberal arts institution in Notre Dame, Indiana, the College offers more than 50 undergraduate academic programs and also offers co-educational master’s degrees.

Contact for News Media: Haleigh Ehmsen, Media Relations Associate, Saint Mary’s College, hehmsen@saintmarys.edu (574) 284-5343

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