2009 Oct 26
For Immediate Release
Natural Science Building Grand Opening
Scottsdale Community College Celebrates the Opening of State-of-the-Art Natural Science Building
Scottsdale, AZ (October 15, 2009) – Scottsdale Community College is gearing up to celebrate the opening of its newest state of the art facility – the new Natural Science building. A community Open House will be held on Friday, November 6 from 1-3pm in the building's South courtyard at 9000 E. Chaparral Rd, Scottsdale. A short program hosted by college officials, faculty and staff will be followed by guided tours provided by Science faculty members. Guests will enjoy refreshments and music in the courtyard.
Sixteen months in the making, the new 46,000 sq ft building will house the college's Life Science and Physical Science programs, including Astronomy, Biology, Microbiology, Marine Biology, Anatomy & Physiology, Forensic Science, Physics, Chemistry, Botany and Geology.
The new building includes 16 laboratories with support facilities including cadaver storage, herbarium, aquarium room, microbiology preparatory facility, and a planetarium. It includes three lab storage and prep facilities, 23 offices, and a tutoring center. It is utilized by 19 full-time faculty, 8 support staff and managers, and over 30 part-time and visiting staff.
"This exquisite space is certain to inspire faculty and engage students in the joys of learning science," said Dr. Jan Gehler, SCC president. "I hope our community members also find their way to this great space - a wonderful addition to Scottsdale's own community college."
The building represents the state of the art in lab design and construction. Great care was spent in meeting the safety standards required of science labs yet minimizing the environmental impact of its operation. This is being done through complex building and ventilation control systems.
During the Open House the planetarium projector will be active showing a nighttime sky, the aquaria will be populated and impressive, and much more.
The building style is modern in appearance, with a clad surface attached to minimize heat gain during the summer and heat loss during the winter. The landscape surrounding the new facility includes rocks and stones that tell a geological story. "The entire site is a geological map," said Dr. Doug Sawyer, Math-Science Division Chair for SCC.
The landscape features four biomes common to the desert southwest and serves as a living laboratory for students. The structure is marked by two large interior courtyards, one with an active water feature that will be used for plant and species propagation, the second with an inset amphitheater that features an accurate representation of geologic strata of the state.
The new Natural Science building serves over 1,000 students each week.
The new Natural Science building (NS) can be located on the following campus map: skynet.sc.maricopa.edu/maps/scc_campus_map.php