Wet Lab for Environmental Science Dedicated
Students in the Environmental Science Program will no
longer have to shuttle between borrowed biology, chemistry, and
geology laboratories or lug equipment from place to place in order
to conduct experiments—thanks to the completion of the George I.
Alden Trust Environmental Sciences Wet Laboratory, located on the
ground floor of McCook Hall. A group of faculty, staff, and students
joined President Jones and trustees of the Alden Trust during a
recent ribbon-cutting ceremony to dedicate the new wet lab, which
was made possible through the generosity of the Alden Trust. Among
those on hand for the April 11 event were Associate Professor of
Biology Joan Morrison, Assistant Professor of Physics Christoph
Geiss, Alison Draper, director of the Interdisciplinary Science
Program, and Associate Academic Dean Stephen Peterson.
In addition to badly
needed sinks—necessary for experiments involving water samples and
chemical processes—the newly refurbished lab is home to a host of
state-of-the-art equipment including sophisticated Global
Positioning System data collection equipment, laptop computers that
run geographic information systems to map locational data,
instruments that analyze air and water samples, and portable pH
meters designed to be used both in the field and in the lab. The
Alden lab is located in McCook 115.
A fairly new program
at Trinity, Environmental Science was launched in 2001 and became a
major a year later. The interdisciplinary course of study includes a
variety of skills and training, and incorporates aspects of
traditional biology, chemistry, geology, and physics as well as
economics, sociology, and political science. Aspects of public
policy, zoning, and land-use regulations are also important. The
study of environmental sciences is by necessity multi-faceted and
the major requirements are among the most broadly based at the
College. During remarks at the event, Draper noted that the Alden
lab will help Trinity students to develop an appreciation for
science while allowing them to serve society by studying the impact
of human beings on the environment. She also pointed out that much
of the research conducted by students in the Environmental Science
Program is local in nature, focusing on the Greater Hartford region.
Morrison, director
of the Environmental Science Program, says that the grant will
enable more students to participate in the program—both majors and
non majors alike—simply because of the increase in permanent
laboratory space now available. And as for convenience, “This will
just make the lab components of our courses much easier and more
workable,” she explains. “Now we have a home; we’ll have more
options. Our students will have full access to the equipment that
they need to conduct research in an exciting field of scientific
study. We couldn’t be happier.”
The
Alden Trust, established in 1912, is named for George I. Alden, a
successful industrialist and educator. Primarily interested in
capital projects that impact as many students as possible, the Alden
Trust previously supported the renovation and construction of the
Raether Library and Information Technology Center.
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