As the sciences expand at the U, the facilities need to keep up. On May 13, the new Thatcher Building for Biological and Biophysical Chemistry was dedicated. The building has several new laboratories, seminar rooms and gathering spaces, and many people are excited to start working.
“I remember starting school as an ACCESS student and we went to some event where they discussed the new building. I thought it was going to be really cool and was excited to get into the labs,” said Natascha Knowlton, a senior in chemistry and physics and recipient of the Thatcher Company Scholarship.
“Now that it’s here, I love just walking through the halls.”
Knowlton said she is envious of current students because as a senior, she has already done the labs in the old building with dated equipment, some decades old. Still, she is happy to imagine the generations of students who will benefit from the Thatcher Building. The new equipment will hopefully make the difference to improve chemistry education at the university, she said.
U President David Pershing said the facility is much needed, especially as hands-on teaching becomes more and more important. He spoke at the dedication ceremony, along with Pierre Sokolsky, dean of the College of Science.
“Chemistry is one of the forces powering innovation and discoveries that are yet to come,” Sokolsky said.
He has seen an expansion within this department and believes this new building will help professors and students alike participate in research. There is a floor dedicated to undergraduate research labs so they can have an opportunity to get research experience earlier in their education.
The building sits at the entrance of campus coming from Rice-Eccles Stadium and the TRAX stop. A periodic table etched on the glass of the building’s front marks its location.
Many attendees at the ceremony had high hopes for the opportunities the building might provide.
“It could be the cure to cancer or some other debilitating disease. It could be some new biological breakthrough that greatly enhances the quality of life,” said Tom Thatcher, spokesman for the Thatcher family, which was the primary donator for the construction of the building. “Whatever it is, this building will provide opportunity, education and reward not only for the individuals who work inside of it, but also most importantly for those outside.”
Many members of the community attended the event, including supporters of the Thatcher family. Don and Rebecca Reese were also primary donators.
The building will provide opportunities for community members outside of the U as well. It will house a room for the Curie Club, an organization for women in science. The architects also placed the multi-purpose room right next to the labs so when school children or scout groups are brought in, they have a place to meet and talk before or after, said Cynthia Burrows, professor in chemistry.
Burrows said the new advanced labs allow for more classes to be added, so the Department of Chemistry will be seeing changes in the near future.