Reaching for the Stars

“Many of our faculty simply don’t have research labs at the present time. All of us are active in research, but most of the research we do with students takes place in teaching labs on an ‘as-available’ basis. That effectively makes research a summer activity and excludes students who can’t be here in the summer.
“In the new complex, research space will allow our faculty and students to be active researchers throughout the year and to seamlessly blend the classroom experience and the research experience, which is the essence of engaged learning.”
—Joe Pollard, chair, Biology

Features of the new state-of-the-art Townes Center for Science will attract exceptionally-talented students and a faculty dedicated to conducting collaborative and multidisciplinary research with students. These features will include:

•  Undergraduate research space for all science faculty members to conduct research with students,

•  State-of-the art classrooms and laboratories,

•  Pedagogical systems that demonstrate the buildings' own environmental impact

•  Common areas that encourage collaboration across disciplines and

•  Space for industrial research, some contractual and some supporting student research funded by federal, state, corporate and foundation grants.

The proposed Townes Center for Science will serve as a tangible vision of the excellence in science education that is possible in a private, liberal arts environment. The fulfillment of this objective, will propel all the sciences at Furman into the national spotlight, bring substantial recognition to the university and prepare Furman students to be leaders in science.