fulfilling our - Alumni - DePaul University

More documents

Recommendations

Info

8 College OF LIBERAL ARTS & SCIENCES Science campaign milestones mark DePaul’s path to academic enrichment DePaul University’s Campaign for Excellence in Science secured nearly $15 million in gifts and grants during fiscal year 2007 and in June celebrated the groundbreaking of the state-of-the-art Monsignor Andrew J. McGowan Science Building, centerpiece of the $20 million drive. According to Frank Clark (LAS ’72, JD ’76), campaign cochair and chairman and CEO of ComEd, reaching the fund-raising milestone confirms that the university’s constituencies broadly support science as a priority at DePaul. “At the start of this campaign, we invited all members of the DePaul family to join us in meeting the challenge to strengthen science education at DePaul for the benefit of all the communities we serve,” says Clark. “We are greatly encouraged by the response and deeply grateful for the generous giving that has brought us closer to our goal. It is a ringing endorsement of the university’s strategic vision.” The new integrated science building, shown in an artist’s renderings of the exterior and interior atrium area (bottom), will be a catalyst for cross-disciplinary conversations and cutting-edge research. The campaign is designed to expand the university’s capacity to educate professionals to meet the growing need for scientists, science educators and a science-competent workforce in Chicago, Illinois and the nation. In addition to supporting construction of the new integrated science facility, the funds raised will help endow new science scholarships and develop new academic programs. Construction of the $40 million structure started on June 7, and it is scheduled to open for classes in January 2009. The 129,000-squarefoot building will include 23 research labs, eight dedicated teaching labs, five large tiered classrooms, two greenhouses — one for teaching and one for research — and a “green” roof. The environmentally friendly structure will house the chemistry and environmental sciences departments and will complement the 9-year-old William G. McGowan Biological and Environmental Sciences Building, which lies just north of the new facility. The biology department also will occupy 6,000 square feet of space outside of its main home in the first McGowan building. The original McGowan building was named for the late founder of MCI Communications and brother of Monsignor Andrew J. McGowan, a priest and philanthropist who died in July 2006. The family’s William G. McGowan Charitable Fund presented a $2 million naming gift to the Campaign for Excellence in Science this spring. Sue Gin, president of the Chicago-based fund and cochair of the science campaign, says that the gift affirms the fund and DePaul’s shared vision of maximizing human potential through education.
Richard Niedziela, chemistry department chair, is always thinking of new ways to make science education an opportunity for self-discovery for students. Assistant Professor Lihua Jin’s research may help advance the search for a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. “Advancing youth through education is a key component of the McGowan fund’s mission. We are pleased to partner with DePaul University in developing its sciences program,” says Gin. “This new building will improve the university’s ability to train scientists, teachers and professionals, and ultimately expand DePaul’s capacity to educate underserved youth who wish to pursue a career in science.” While all recent DePaul construction has been designed to be energy efficient, the new science building is the first to seek certification through the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System of the U.S. Green Building Council. “This building is the future of science education at DePaul,” says the Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider, C.M., president of DePaul. “We are committed to providing our next generation of scientists and technology workers with an education of the highest level, which will help our society to remain healthy, internationally prominent and economically strong.” According to the president, the campaign will help position DePaul as a leader in 21st-century science education. “Leadership in this area includes taking action to address the need for highly educated elementary and high school science teachers,” notes Holtschneider. “The new building and an endowment for scholarships will increase DePaul’s capacity to prepare students for the key role of laying a solid foundation for science education.” Additional gifts to the campaign have come from corporations, foundations, individual donors and government agencies, including the State of Illinois’ Capital Development Board, which contributed $9 million. For more information about the Campaign for Excellence in Science, go to giving.depaul.edu/science. DePaul prepares science students for successful careers DePaul’s hands-on approach to science education has prepared thousands of graduates for success in science-based careers. These alumni are engaged in at least 60 different fields of work including urban planning, aviation and aerospace, animal science and veterinary medicine, computer and high technology, energy resources, environmental science, manufacturing, medical and health services, nutrition, and pharmacology. According to Richard Niedziela, chemistry department chair, that’s because science education at DePaul allows students to find out what they are really good at. “The main thing is that students get to do research and perform experiments alongside teachers,” he says. Niedziela and his students, for example, are investigating the optical — that is, light-absorbing or light-reflecting — characteristics of organic materials that represent components of atmospheric aerosols or particles. They also are involved in research to better understand the structure of particles formed from water and oleic acid, which many scientists use as proxies for natural aerosols found in the atmosphere. Both lines of research will produce data that can help scientists better identify, model or understand the properties of atmospheric particles, including those contributing to global warming. More than a dozen other DePaul science professors lead lab projects that impart practical experience to students. A sampling of their work includes: n Lihua Jin, assistant professor of chemistry, is studying the interaction of certain proteins with some metal ions and with tetracycline, an antibiotic, to better understand what causes Alzheimer’s disease and advance the search for a treatment for the condition. n Joanna Brooke, assistant professor of biological sciences, is investigating the worldwide emergence of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, a type of bacteria resistant to many antibiotics. Maltophilia is spread by contaminated implanted devices and materials. Brooke’s research has the potential to reveal pharmacological treatments for the bacteria. n Liam Heneghan, professor of environmental science, is researching invasive plant and animal species in the Chicago area. A current research focus is the ways in which such invasions affect local ecosystems and their restoration potential. 9
Page 1 and 2: fulfilling our VISION OFFICE OF ADV
Page 3 and 4: Letter from the PRESIDENT Dear Alum
Page 5 and 6: Financial HIGHLIGHTS In Thousands A
Page 7 and 8: School OF MUSIC Community Music Div
Page 9: College OF LAW Legal profession rul
Page 13 and 14: School OF Step into Melinda Wilson
Page 15 and 16: EGAN HOPE Scholars Offering more th
Page 17 and 18: The generous support of the followi
Page 19 and 20: * $100,000+ lifetime giving + Donor
Page 61 and 62:
* $100,000+ lifetime giving + Donor
Page 63 and 64:
Page 65 and 66:
Page 67 and 68:
Page 69 and 70:
Page 71 and 72:
Page 73 and 74:
Page 75 and 76:
Board of Trustees Chair John B. Sim
show all

fulfilling our - Alumni - DePaul University

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?