Mainebiz

L E W I S T O N / A U B U R N / W E S T E R N M A I N E A s Bates College seniors were preparing for commencement in late May, trees and other final landscaping touches were being installed at the campus's new Bonney Science Center — the centerpiece of a $75 million project to upgrade science teaching and research facilities, with a focus on cross-disciplinary collaboration and flexibility. "e new building is transformational in that it's set up in a way to beautifully integrate teaching and research," says Clayton Spencer, president of the liberal arts institution, which has been a keystone in Lewiston since 1855. Bonney's design approach — with versatile spaces that promote interaction and teamwork — reflects a 21st century pedagogy that leaves behind the conventional lecture-followed-by-lab model and instead encourages hands-on student engagement, innovation, inclusivity and transparency. "It's science on display," says Geoffrey Swift, Bates's vice president for finance and administration. "We don't want science to be cloistered behind some dark wall. We want students to be able to walk in and say, 'What is that? I want to do that.'" Cutting-edge e $75 million is going toward a science facilities upgrade that includes construction of the 65,000-square- foot Bonney Science Center and modernization of Bates' older science facilities, Carnegie Science Hall and Dana Chemistry Hall. Overall, the project touches nearly 174,000 square feet in science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, facilities, the largest undertaking of its kind at Bates. At Bonney, move-in is scheduled to start this summer. When students return for the fall semester, the center will be fully operational. "Bates has always been a very academically serious place," says Spencer. "Now we have a building that's cutting-edge for the way we teach science." e idea of "science on display" sums up a build- ing design informed by modern-day approaches to We don't want science to be cloistered behind some dark wall. — Geoffrey Swift Bates College F O C U S VO L . X X V I I N O. X I I J U N E 1 4 , 2 0 2 1 12 SCIENCE ON DISPLAY SCIENCE ON DISPLAY B y L a u r i e S c h r e i b e r BATES COLLEGE'S NEW STEM CENTER IS DESIGNED FOR THE 21ST CENTURY P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY Bates Campaign T he $75 million science facilities construction and upgrade are part of the Bates Campaign, which seeks to raise $300 million in all for facilities and programs throughout the college. The campaign is the college's most ambi- tious fundraising effort in its history. As of press time, the campaign had reached $255 million. Geoffrey Swift, Bates vice president for finance and administration and treasurer, and Malcolm Hill, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the Bates faculty, stand in the Bonney Science Center's Monumental Stair. The striking geometric shape, sheathed in glass, overlooks one of the main gates onto the quad. Swift and Hill have been involved in planning Bonney Science Center and upgrades to two other science buildings.

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