A reception celebrating the renaming of the Joint Science Department to the W.M. Keck Science Department will be held at 3 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 14 at the W.M. Keck Science Center Courtyard: 925 N. Mills Ave., Claremont.
Remarks from representatives of the W.M. Keck Science Department, Claremont McKenna, Pitzer, and Scripps colleges will begin at 3:30 p.m. Student research posters will be available for viewing during the reception.
Formerly known as the Joint Science Department, the new W.M. Keck name designation honors the W.M. Keck Foundation for their long-term support that began more than two and a half decades ago with an initial gift of $750,000 to the Colleges in 1983, which was split between CMC, Pitzer, and Scripps to fund student summer research as well as faculty research. Five years later in 1988, the Foundation awarded a grant of $6.5 million to Scripps College to build the current science facility.
"Science education is an essential component of a liberal arts experience," said Pamela Gann, president of Claremont McKenna College. "The distinguishing advantage offered through the W. M. Keck Science Department," adds Pitzer president, Laura Skandera Trombley, "is the dedicated focus on undergraduate education, enabling our three colleges to offer small classes at both the introductory and advanced levels."
Lori Bettison-Varga, Scripps College president, has described the collaborative, shared science program as "a more personalized approach to science education, where science faculty and students can work side-by-side."
Questions about this event can be directed to the CMC Office of Events at (909) 607-2386 or events@cmc.edu.