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V O L . X X V I I N O. X I I J U N E 1 4 , 2 0 2 1 14 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 F O C U S with faculty and staff of the college's STEM Facilities Planning Committee to develop a plan to guide the planning and construction of Bonney and the modern- ization of Dana and Carnegie. Interdisciplinary collaboration was a key component of the plan, says Hinchcliffe. "We wanted to design a forward-looking and envi- ronmentally sustainable building that anticipate future growth" and "portrayed the cutting-edge of science," says Hinchcliffe. e center is expected to be a draw for future fac- ulty, says Malcolm Hall, dean of the faculty and vice president for academic affairs "You can't overlook the fact that facilities like this are a clear signal about our serious commitment to doing intellectual scholarly work at a high level," says Hall. "Our scientists on the faculty, who are nationally recognized scholars in their own right, have a new facility that they can do their work in. at fosters a sense that this is place you want to be, and helps us as we think about recruiting the next generation of faculty to the campus." Older science buildings Bonney will house faculty and programs in biology, chemistry and neuroscience. Dana, built in 1965, will be repurposed to focus on science teaching for students new to STEM fields. It will also be equipped with new, flexible classrooms for teaching across all disciplines. "e building has really good bones," says Hinchcliffe. Dana's renovation is expected to start later this year. Carnegie, built in 1913 and expanded in 1961 and 1990, will receive programmatic updates to better support faculty and programs in STEM fields such as physics, and also undergo upgrades to mechanical and electrical systems. Inclusive excellence Bonney's construction reflects the college's larger commitment to diversity and inclusion. In 2018, Bates was one of 57 schools to receive funding from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Inclusive Excellence initiative, with the goal of provid- ing any student interested in STEM to be provided with an inclusive curriculum, support structures, and dedicated faculty and staff mentors to ensure that they have the opportunity to thrive. at work began in the summer of 2018 and has resulted in significant curricular changes in the biol- ogy, physics and astronomy departments, with other departmental reviews underway. Collaborative research, a hallmark of the college's new facilities, is a key strategy to leveling the edu- cational field for students coming from a variety of high school backgrounds, says Spencer. "Rather than sit in a large lecture hall with dif- ferent levels of preparation, everyone starts in with research," says Spencer. "It's a leveler. Bonney will allow us to optimize excellence as it's understood now, which is to be inclusive with a wide range of interests and backgrounds, and to give students early experience in science." » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY Bates College President Clayton Spencer stands in one of the signature features of the Bonney Science Center, a two-story, glass-walled lounge called the Beacon, which overlooks Campus Avenue and the quad. Visible in the background is Carnegie Science Hall, a century-old building that will be updated under a reconfiguration of Bates science facilities. Inclusive excellence I n 2018, Bates was one of 57 schools to receive a grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute for "development of cultural competencies by faculty; redesign of curricula to include research experiences for first-semester students." The redesigns began in 2018 and resulted in significant curricular changes in the biology, physics and astronomy departments. Other departments are beginning the process. The overarching goal? To provide Bates students interested in STEM with inclusive curricula, support structures, and faculty and staff mentors to ensure they have the opportunity to thrive. We worked to create a design that was both rigorously functional but also very progressive. — Michael Hinchcliffe Payette

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